DA opens more bagsakan centers

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has facilitated the opening of 17 bagsakan or drop-off centers for farm produce and 30 consumer-friendly barangay bagsakans (BBs) in Metro Manila that sell basic food items at prices 10 percent lower than those sold in regular retail outlets.

As of April 15 this year, eight bagsakan centers and 34 BBs are also operating in the regions, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup.

He said the bagsakan centers operating in Metro Manila are in Oriental Wet and Dry Market, Mega Q-Mart and Commonwealth Market in Quezon City; Mutya ng Pasig and Viajero Bagsakan Center in Pasig City ; South Station and Muntinlupa Public Market in Muntinlupa City; and the Marikina Market Zone and Marikina Public Market in Marikina City.

Bagsakan centers can also be found at the Kadiwa Center in Valenzuela; Pritil Public Market; Maypajo Public Market in Caloocan City; Smokey Mountain Food Depot in Manila; Carmona and Bacoor Public Markets in Cavite; Antipolo Public Market in Antipolo City and Makro Bagsakan Center in Sucat, Parañaque City.

Additionally, Salacup said bagsakan centers are also operating in Alaminos, Pangasinan; San Jose City, Nueva Ecija; Balanga, Bataan; Meycauayan, Bulacan; Calauan, Laguna; Victoria, Oriental Mindoro; Tagbilaran, Bohol; and Ormoc City in Leyte.

The 30 operational BBs in Metro Manila are directly serving a total of 412,968 families, while barangay bagsakans in the regions serve 55,445 families.

Government-subsidized rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) is sold at P18.25 per kilo in these BBs, while sugar can be bought for P36 a  kilo.

Whole chicken is sold for as low as P110 a kilo in BBs, while a kilo of pork liempo costs as low as P160.

A kilo of ampalaya costs only P35 in BBs; cabbage for as low as P20 a kilo; tomatoes, P20 per kilo; red onion, P40 a kilo; potatoes, P21 a kilo; and eggplant for as low as P17 a kilo.