TACLOBAN CITY– As fuel prices climb and temperatures continue to rise, daily life has become more challenging for many rural families. In remote villages, the cost of transportation has pushed market trips further out of reach, while extreme heat has made food production and storage more difficult.
In response, Malacañang, through the Office of the President (OP), has rolled out an initiative delivering fresh vegetables directly to communities affected by these pressures.
The Gulay para sa Barangay program aims to bridge gaps in both food access and affordability, ensuring that households can still prepare nutritious meals despite rising costs.
By sourcing vegetables from local farmers and distributing them to barangays, the initiative reduces the need for long-distance transport, cutting costs for consumers while supporting agricultural producers. This way, local vegetable farmers are supported while Filipino families are ensured access to fresh produce amid rising fuel prices.
This initiative recently rolled out to four villages in Tacloban City, just a day after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited the city, bringing with him various services for the local government units in the region.
For many residents in the villages of Sta. Elena, Old Kawayan, Paglaum, and Salvacion, the arrival of fresh vegetables means more than sustenance, it offers a lifeline in their basic needs.
“Diri na kami mamasahe pagkadto merkado pamalit. Porlo menos, mayda na kami maluluto para ha amon pamilya,” says Jane Morados, a resident of Brgy. Paglaum.
Vegetable farmers, too, are feeling the benefits. With fuel costs affecting the delivery of goods and the rising heat impacting crop yields, having a direct and reliable outlet for their produce has become increasingly important. The initiative helps minimize post-harvest losses and ensures that their efforts translate into income.
The tons of vegetables distributed to Tacloban villages were bought from vegetable farmers in Tacloban, some parts of Leyte and in Baybay City. Packed in red bags, the vegetables included eggplants, cabbages, carrots, radish, cucumbers, cauliflower, tomatoes, chillis, garlic, and a lot more.
Village officials noted that fresh vegetables offer a big help especially in this summertime, when growing vegetables is becoming futile as temperatures continue to rise.
“Hindi na kami makapagtanim ng maayos kasi masyadong mainit, hindi maganda ang harvest ng kahit simpleng gulay na pwede sana maitanim dito lang sa aming barangay,” said village chief Ronnel Soriano of Barangay Salvacion.
The program is part of a broader response to overlapping challenges, including inflation, climate-related impacts, and food security concerns.
As the country navigates rising temperatures and economic uncertainties, the initiative underscores the importance of localized, community-driven solutions. For residents in these villages, each delivery is a reminder that even in difficult times, support can arrive in simple but meaningful ways, fresh, nourishing, and within reach.
(ACR/PIA Leyte)
