President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Quezon City on Dec. 1, 2022. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government has enough rice supply to ensure the continuous sale of rice at Kadiwa stores at P25 per kilogram.
In a speech at the Kadiwa ng Pasko in Valenzuela City, the President said at least 350 Kadiwa stores have been rolled out nationwide.
Kadiwa stores sell agricultural products such as rice and fish at a cheaper price and provide a market to local farmers and fisherfolk for their produce.
“This Kadiwa is good because the people are not only given opportunity to buy goods at a lower price, but we also give opportunity to local producers of small products to have a market,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that over a dozen sites were opened in Metro Manila during the project’s initial launch.
The president also visited the National Food Authority warehouse in Valenzuela City and assured the public that there was a sufficient supply of rice despite the government’s reduced importation to give priority to locally sourced rice.
“That’s why I’m looking at where the supply that we sell to the Kadiwas comes from. So I went there. It seems that the warehouses are full and there are even more coming,” he said.
“So maybe this will continue so that we can be sure that Kadiwa will not run out of commodities to sell … at a good price, that’s P25,” he added, referring to rice.
Marcos said the rice supply appeared to be sufficient but warned that the government must anticipate possible weather disturbances that might affect the supply of rice.
In the case of onion supply, he said the government was working to find a way to handle smuggled onions and quickly release it to the market.
Earlier this month, the president said he wanted the Kadiwa store project to continue until February or March next year.