Kadiwa stores to rise in NHA projects
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) are working together to put up Kadiwa stores in housing projects nationwide.
In a statement on Friday, the DA said they signed a non-binding accord, through which they will create a framework to institutionalize the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program across NHA projects.
The agency will help identify and establish Kadiwa stores or centers at NHA-designated locations. It will also provide logistical and technical support to ensure the program’s successful implementation.
“This memorandum of understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the NHA represents a crucial step in integrating food security into housing communities. Providing homes is essential, but true community development goes beyond shelter. It must also include sustainable food systems, livelihood opportunities, and economic stability,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the team-up forms part of a wider goal to build a resilient food supply chain benefiting low-income and vulnerable communities.
“This model is not just about providing food; it’s about empowering communities, supporting our farmers and fisherfolk, and integrating food systems into everyday life,” she said.
Expanding the Kadiwa stores nationwide is one of the DA’s major programs, seeking to provide a ready market for farmers and fishers while making agricultural products affordable, safe and secure for the general public.
Kadiwa, a market linkage facilitation program of the DA, bypasses the middlemen in the trading cycle.
