Government revives Marcos-era stores

MANILA, Philippines — The government has revived the Marcos-era Kadiwa store system in Metro Manila in a bid to stabilize prices and help both farmers and consumers.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita at the Food and Development Center in Taguig City, where major agricultural goods will be sold at reasonably low prices to aid poor Filipino households.

“We are now reviving a very important government project which targets to support both farmers and consumers through a direct marketing scheme,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.

The Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita is a collaborative project of the DA, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Food Terminal Inc.

The Kadiwa store system was originally introduced by former president Ferdinand Marcos to help bring down the prices of agricultural commodities.

It was also implemented by former president Joseph Estrada during his brief term in 1998 to arrest the skyrocketing prices of basic goods and commodities and help farmers get the best prices for their crops.

“Through Kadiwa, we can be sure that farmers get the best prices for their goods, while providing affordable, safe, and nutritious food to the consumers,” Dar said.

The project was envisioned to empower the farmers and the community through their involvement in a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.

This will also ensure that produce of the farmers reaches the consumers without passing through a multi-layered marketing system that puts the farmers most of the time at the losing end.