The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over ₱11.8 million worth of Kadiwa Bagsakan Centers in Maco and Carmen to strengthen agricultural marketing and support the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program.
The facilities, inaugurated on March 10, are designed to improve post-harvest handling, product consolidation, and distribution of farm goods in the Davao Region.
The ₱6.8-million project in Maco includes upgraded storage facilities and a hauling truck to help farmers collect and transport agricultural products. The center is expected to benefit more than 500 farmers from 12 cooperatives and associations producing commodities such as coffee, cacao, bananas, corn, and upland vegetables.
Meanwhile, a ₱5-million Bagsakan Center was also turned over to the municipal government of Carmen. The facility includes a Kadiwa store and a transport vehicle that will support product consolidation and distribution for 24 farmers’ cooperatives and associations, benefiting about 2,926 producers.
The projects are funded under the DA’s Kadiwa Financial Grant Assistance Program, which aims to strengthen farmer-to-consumer marketing and reduce logistics costs.
According to DA officials, the expansion of Kadiwa facilities nationwide is part of the government’s strategy to shorten food supply chains, increase farmers’ incomes, and provide consumers with more affordable food amid global supply uncertainties.
Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency aims to expand the subsidized rice program to reach about 60 million Filipinos this year, in line with the food security agenda of Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
The ₱20-per-kilo rice program prioritizes vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, transport workers, minimum wage earners, farmers, fisherfolk, and public school teachers.
The DA earlier reported that more than 500 Kadiwa rice selling sites have been established nationwide, serving over 2.6 million households across all 82 provinces and selected cities.
As of March 11, prevailing rice prices in the National Capital Region ranged from ₱40 to ₱45 per kilogram for local regular and well-milled rice, while imported varieties ranged from ₱43 to ₱48 per kilogram, according to DA monitoring.
