Rice at P29 per kilogram was made available to the public during the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) and the grand launch of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Compound in Brgy. Bayanan II, here.
Oriental Mindoro took part in the simultaneous run of KNP in the country in celebration of the birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. today, September 13.
The activity was led by the NIA MIMAROPA offices in Calapan City and Pinamalayan in Oriental Mindoro, Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, and Narra in Palawan.
NIA MIMAROPA Regional Manager Ronilio M. Cervantes announced that 5,682 bags of quality and affordable rice were sold across the region.
Of these, 2,512 bags were allocated for Oriental Mindoro, 1,170 for Occidental Mindoro, and 2,000 for Palawan.
Cervantes highlighted that the rice is part of the Rice Contract Farming program under NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen, in partnership with various Irrigators’ Associations (IA).
As of the latest tally, the program has seen 60 IAs across MIMAROPA participating, covering a total of 1,940 hectares of farmland.
Luzviminda De Castro, a 70-year old resident of Brgy. Bayanan II, expressed gratitude for the initiative.
“Napakalaking tulong po nito sa akin, lalo na ako po ay isang senior citizen at mayroon po akong kasama na may dinaramdam na sakit. Sa murang halaga, maaari na kami makabili ng bigas,” she said.
Marieta C. Granil, a 45-year-old Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program member from Brgy. Bayanan I, Calapan City, also praised the event, noting that the selling of low-priced quality rice is a great help to marginalized sectors like hers.
In addition to rice, the KNP also featured fruits and vegetables from NIA’s partner IAs ranging from durian, marang, lanzones, okra, sitaw, mangosteen, banana, and calamansi. (JJGS/PIA MIMAROPA)
