MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will establish Marcos era-like Kadiwa store system in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure food availability, especially in the remote areas.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who was recently appointed by President Duterte as his point man in the region, said 50 community stores would be built to sell basic household items starting next month.
The community stores, to be known as Padian na Bangsamoro, will be operated and managed by the wives, widows and orphans of former Bangsamoro combatants.
Each store will get P500,000 fundings through a no-interest, no-collateral loan from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, a DA-attached agency.
Ten stores will be built in each of the five BARMM provinces, which included Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
“Initially, the stores will sell common household needs such as rice, salt, sugar, dried fish, canned goods, milk and spices at prices lower than the prevailing market prices,” Piñol said.
“Patterned after the Kadiwa stores formerly operated by the NFA, the Padian will later sell farmers’ needs such as seeds, farm inputs and fertilizer,” he added, referring to the National Food Authority.
The establishment of the Padian was one of the projects identified as “immediately deliverable” during a consultation on the crafting of a 10-year agriculture masterplan for the Bangsamoro Region.
The project aims to increase productivity and reduce poverty in the area.
Mohammad Yacob, BARMM agriculture and fishery chief, was tasked to identify and organize the wives, children and widows of former combatants.
The women will undergo training on financial literacy, accounting and business management.
“All the 50 initial stores will be linked by a computer network, which will monitor the daily sales and activities of the Padian outlets,” Piñol said.
“Once successful, the Padian outlets will be expanded to cover all other areas in the Bangsamoro Region, especially the remote island communities,” he added.