To provide the poor residents of Metro Manila access to affordable agri-fishery products, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Quezon City government, launched the first TienDA rolling store on March 5, 2018 at the Bulacan Covered Court, Area B., Main Barangay Hall, Payatas, Quezon City.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, Undersecretary for Agribusiness and Marketing Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, and QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, led the opening ceremony.

TienDA, a marketing initiative launched in July 2017, aims to provide a direct trading center for farmers and fisherfolks to eventually eliminate cartels, middlemen and dicers. It is in line with President Duterte directive to provide available and affordable food for Filipinos.

“Hindi availability ng pagkain ang problema natin kundi kung paano natin dadalhin ang pagkain sa pinakamurang paraan,” Piñol said.

“Food doesn’t need to be too expensive,” he added.

Five tons of freshly milled rice from Luzon farmers’ cooperatives was sold to residents of Barangay Payatas at P38 per kilogram. The rice is packed in 4 and 5 kilograms bag.

Vegetables from the Cordillera Region, organic salted eggs, and dried fish were also available at the rolling store.

In his message, Piñol sought a strong partnership with the QC government in the implementation TienDA.

“I urge your women to group themselves into an organization, so we can give you capacity training to help you manage your own TienDA outlets in the future,” he said.

“Initially, we will start with rice outlets, and your women’ organizations can manage it. That way, regular na ang TienDA sa mga baranggay. Di na lang isang araw kung di araw-araw may murang paninda na mabibili,” Piñol.

The Agri chief added that DA hopes to establish food outlets in every town by the end of President Duterte term.

Another TienDA will be staged in Negros Occidental within this month. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)