TACLOBAN CITY – In celebration of Filipino Food Month (FFM), the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) launched a three-day Kadiwa pop-up store from April 23 to 25 at the DA-8 Carpark, Kanhuraw Hill, this city.
Organized by the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), the event featured 20 exhibitors, including farmers’ associations, local entrepreneurs, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from across Eastern Visayas.
On display were native delicacies such as binagol, moron, and suman, along with locally made products like tablea, organic vinegar, and handmade peanut butter.
In her opening message, DA- 8 administrative and finance division chief Jenny Lyn Almeria emphasized the role of Filipino Food Month in preserving the country’s rich culinary heritage while promoting food security.
“We are celebrating FFM to highlight our traditional Filipino foods. Through this, we aim to strengthen local food production and ensure food security for all,” she said.
Almeria also acknowledged the vital role of farming communities in producing traditional delicacies and thanked Kadiwa partners for helping sustain regional culinary traditions.
As part of the event, an information caravan for “Project 29 Rice” was also introduced. This initiative aims to offer rice at a subsidized rate of P29 per kilogram, with the National Food Authority (NFA) set to supply the rice following successful coordination with DA-8.
To extend this effort beyond Tacloban, the agency is preparing to roll out “Kadiwa on wheels” alongside Project 29 Rice in May, in celebration of Farmers and Fisherfolk Month.
This mobile market will target geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas across the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Northern Samar. Around 1,000 bags of NFA rice have been secured for the mobile program.
The public was encouraged to support local producers by visiting the KADIWA pop-up, which operated until 5 pm daily during the three-day event.
(NAPOLEON JASPER BALTAR, LNU STUDENT INTERN)
