Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel , Jr. on Thursday turned over P5-Million under the Enhanced Kadiwa Financial Grant for the establishment of a permanent KADIWA in Limay, Bataan as part of the government’s push for food security and higher income for farmers.
The P5-million KADIWA project will benefit 28 farmers’ cooperatives and associations with a total 3,826 members. The project cost includes the P1 million trading capital to support the center.
“A permanent KADIWA store in Limay promises affordable, fresh, and safe food for local consumers while providing farmers with increased income opportunities. However, this is just the beginning: more initiatives are needed to sustain this momentum,” said Sec. Tiu Laurel.
The agri chief also witnessed the signing of an agreement among the DA, local government unit of Limay, Bataan Peninsula State University, and Limay Polytechnic College for the launch of another Zero Kilometer Food Project.
Zero KM, an initiative launched last year in the towns of Hermosa and Dinalupihan, promotes healthy eating while minimizing cost and impact on the environment by consuming locally-grown fruits, vegetable and other agricultural products.
“Implementing this concept at the grassroots level within municipalities is where its true impact lies. It addresses the critical issue of food supply and demand at the local level, echoing concerns that resonate at the provincial and national levels. This grassroots approach fosters a deeper understanding, better planning, and effective management of our food systems,” Sec. Tiu Laurel said.
“By promoting agriculture at the barangay level, we create efficient systems that ensure food reaches consumers without delay, nutrient loss, cost overruns, price manipulation, or unnecessary intermediaries. This, in turn, lays the groundwork for data-driven interventions aimed at meeting local needs and exploring export opportunities,” he added.
Sec. Tiu Laurel also helped launched Limay Invests for Farmers’ Triumph, or LIFT, a collaboration between the Limay LGU and private sector partners like MENSCH Fil-Am Corp. and the DA’s High Value Crops Development Program to help empower local farmers by providing them interest-free loans.
The agri chief also helped unveil Anthony Villanueva Farm’s drip-fertigation system, which uses water enriched with soluble fertilizers and micronutrients and delivered to crops using drip irrigation to improve quality and yield. The system was also adopted successfully at the 1Bataan Farms in Dinalupihan.
The modern farming approach, he said, “underscores the importance of science-based methods in Philippine agriculture.”
The DA seeks to modernize Philippine agriculture through mechanization, infrastructure development, and adoption of science-based approaches to increase food production, ensure food security, and lift millions of farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty. ###
