Capitol buys 35,000 kilos of cabbage from Dalaguete farmers

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu provincial government has initially purchased 35 tons of cabbage from farmers from Dalaguete town, south Cebu in response to reports that their produce has gone wasted and rotting because of the absence of buyers.

Provincial agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said the Capitol purchased the cabbages for P280,000.

These were the excess cabbages from the total harvest of the farmers that were brought to the two cold storage facilities at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), which is the temporary bagsakan center in Cebu City for farm produce in the province.

Additional cabbages were delivered on July 27 from farmers from the towns of Dalaguete, Argao, Alcoy, Boljoon and Alegria, which formed the Dalaguete Trading Center in Barangay Mantalongon, Dalaguete.

In a Sugbo News report, the Capitol-run media outlet, the bought cabbages will be given to the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (1,606 kilos), Talisay City Jail (1,078 kilos), Lapu-Lapu City Jail (968 kilos), Mandaue City Jail (869 kilos), Cebu City Jail Female Dorm (1,719 kilos), Cebu City Jail Male Dorm (2,050 kilos), Naga City Jail (432 kilos), Sisters of Mary School Boys Town Inc. Minglanilla (362 kilos), Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (593 kilos), Carmelite Sisters (70 kilos), Archbishop Palace (68 kilos), Pink Sisters (93 kilos), and Poor Clare Sisters (111 kilos).

Saragena said these excess vegetables are premium quality cabbages.

“Puros na lang nakapalit ang mga buyer ani, naa na may takers, unya naa pa ang supply tungod sa low demand so mao nang naa gyud ta’y excess,” Saragena said.

The purchase of the cabbages was the initial action of the Capitol after reports that a number of farmers whose livelihoods were greatly affected by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

A group of well-meaning young individuals from Dalaguete led by cousins Lorraine Mitzi and Rhea May Ambrad first aired the plight of the farmers in Mantalongon through a video posted on social media.

Their initiative eventually reached the office of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who in turn immediately acted on the farmers’ concerns.  KQD (FREEMAN)