TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) 8 (Eastern Visayas) here, in partnership with local government units, is rolling out 26 Kadiwa stores this month to make affordable agricultural products more accessible to Eastern Visayas residents.
The initiative, which is part of the Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month celebration, will set up Kadiwa stores in malls and public markets in the six provinces of the region, said DA-8 assistant director for operations Larry Sultan.

“There are strategic areas identified in collaboration with local government units. We take into consideration the accessibility of producers and consumers,” Sultan told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.

Local farmers’ organizations have been tapped to participate and eventually earn more.
Kadiwa stands for “Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita,” a marketing strategy of the DA that directly connects food producers to consumers, making products less costly.

It is implemented through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance, which seeks to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.

Sultan said the model eliminates many marketing layers, allowing producers to earn bigger from directly selling their produce instead of using trader-intermediaries. It reduces marketing expenses,thus making fresh and quality products more affordable for consumers.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier announced that the Kadiwa should be established in more areas to help consumers buy basic necessities, such as food products, at lower prices compared to those sold at regular markets and stores.

The DA officially opened the 2023 Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month (FFM) nationwide on May 2, anchored on the theme “Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya.”

The theme represents the thrust of the agriculture department that a key foundation of a vibrant competitive economy is through a productive agri-fishery sector. (PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY– Taking advantage of the dry season, the Leyte Second District Engineering Office (L2DEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now in full swing in constructing the flood control structure stretching the Hibuga River basin in Mayorga town.

The project has a cost of P54.66 million which includes the installation of furnished and driven steel sheet piles and gabions.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura said that the project can lessen the negative impacts brought by inevitable disasters wherein river channels tend to rise up during heavy rainfall and typhoons, causing the river banks to collapse.

“With these structures, river banks will be guarded from destructive floods and erosion. People living nearby will be safe from the damaging effects of the sudden onslaught of rain, which affect their lives and the livelihood of the communities,” he said.

The construction of the project began on March 13 of this year and is to be completed on December 1 of the same year.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

BORONGAN CITY-In line with the Month of Ocean celebration, the provincial government of Eastern Samar launched Project ‘KLEAN’ or Kalikasan Linisan Estehanon Aksyon Na’ on Tuesday (May 9).

The provincewide coastal clean-up drive and the rice for trash campaign intend to raise awareness of the repercussion of garbage thrown in the ocean and promote proper waste management thus protecting aquatic lives.

To encourage residents of Eastern Samar to participate in the project, the provincial government offers a kilogram of rice for every two kilograms of trash collected.

The launching was held at Baybay Boulevard, this city, and attended by various sectors in the city including uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Governor Ben Evardone said that the provincial government had allocated 800 sacks of rice and another 100 sacks of rice from the 4Ps party list for this initiative.

“The important thing about this activity is the message that we are putting across to the world, to our province, and to our country, that even in this part of the Philippines, one of the farthest parts of the country, we are concern with our environment,” Evardone said.
“We are trying to do our share, modest as it is, to help preserve, protect, and ensure that the generation to come will inherit a vibrant environment,” he added.

Evardone said that the clean-up drive will be done every week for the entire month of May.
The province hopes that after May this will be a usual weekly routine of all LGUs in the province.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda, who was also present during the launching, said that he is thankful for the provincial government in initiating the program which is in line with the city’s existing program in protecting the coastal water resources.

“This is not only for us but for our future generations. We really have to protect our forests and our ocean,” he said.

He added that despite their effort to clean their waters, garbage remains to be a problem.
Some of this garbage also comes from the upland area where people are not yet aware of the negative effects of improper waste disposal particularly plastics and other non-biodegradable materials.

“The success of this will be measured once it becomes a way of life. No matter who starts it what is important is it becomes an obligation and responsibility of us who are leaders to make this a legacy for the betterment of our future generation,” Mayor Agda said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)