MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Mobile Kadiwa stores selling P29 rice per kilo and other basic commodities can have a greater impact in barangays, San Juan City Mayor and Metro Manila Council President Francis Zamora said on Thursday.
According to Zamora, mobile Kadiwa stores can be more accessible to the public, especially in larger cities like Quezon City.
鈥淭here is a regular Kadiwa that visits San Juan. We have it regularly at the city hall, and I believe it would have a greater impact if we had a mobile Kadiwa that could go around the barangays,鈥� he said, partly in Filipino.
Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores, which directly sell producer-to-consumer goods, are stationed in some Metro Manila areas and neighboring provinces.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. also said on Wednesday that the agency is looking to set up Kadiwa stores in all an estimated 150 public and private markets in the National Capital Region.
READ: DA eyeing Kadiwa outlets in Metro Manila public, private markets
Furthermore, Zamora said the plan to establish permanent Kadiwa booths in markets is 鈥渨orkable,鈥� but areas like San Juan City cannot meet certain booth specifications.
鈥淚t鈥檚 workable, except that in some cases in San Juan, we don鈥檛 have space to dedicate a structure or building. So, I鈥檓 requesting a possible hybrid kind of store because sometimes, the people we鈥檝e talked to have specific requirements for stores,鈥� Zamora noted.
鈥淔or example, there are certain area and size requirements for Kadiwa that we can鈥檛 meet. Perhaps it can be set up not at the exact location, so we can still implement it even without the specified structures,鈥� Zamora added.
Laurel echoed Zamora鈥檚 sentiments, emphasizing that the establishment of the stores depends on the location.
鈥淥f the 150 markets, not all of them have ample parking, so we were given parking slots with enough space, so we put up pop-up booths or stores there,鈥� Laurel said.
Vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, single parents, or beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program can purchase P29 rice per kilo under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program.