FARMERS’ BAYANIHAN INITIATIVE. Farming groups in Kidapawan City, in partnership with the regional agriculture office, launch on Friday (May 7, 2021) a community pantry to help sectors of the city that have been heavily affected by the pandemic. The pantry organizers made sure that basic health protocols (inset) were followed during the activity. (Photos courtesy of Kidapawan CIO)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Some 300 residents here benefited from the “Kadiwa Community Pantry” launched on Friday by the Department of Agriculture (DA) 12 (Soccsksargen) together with local farmer cooperatives and associations.
Director of DA-12, Arlan Mangelen, said the program intends to help residents belonging to the vulnerable sectors who were heavily affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
"This is the chance of our farmers to also assist families in the marginalized sectors to have food on their table,” Mangelen told reporters here in an interview.
He said the farm inputs were donated by farmers out of their excess harvest of crops grown from seeds given to them by the DA.
Mangelen said the “Kadiwa” pantry, held at the Provincial Capitol grounds, would continue in the coming days starting at 5 a.m.
Farm produce – vegetables, eggs, spices, tilapia fish, and local fruit harvests – from organized vegetable and fruit growers in the city were offered in the community pantry.
"How I wish this could happen every day, so that many people like us, could benefit from the assistance of others the ‘bayanihan’ way,” Luding dela Cruz, one of the beneficiaries, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a separate interview.
Another beneficiary, Mario Acquiatan, said, “To the DA-12 and partners with generous hearts, thank you very much.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the city government welcomes groups, organizations, and agencies that wish to conduct the same activity in the barangays.
Evangelista also reiterated his support for farmers in joining such a program that uplifts the spirit of “bayanihan” in these trying times.
"The city government, in return, continues to allocate funds for the farmers to promote viable agriculture outputs from the local farms to bigger markets outside, like in (the) Visayas and Metro Manila,” he said.
The DA-12 and co-organizers ensured the observance of minimum health protocols at the community pantry to deter the possible transmission of Covid-19.
Senior citizens were given a separate row to shorten their stay at the pantry line. (PNA)
