TO bring affordable food products closer to the Filipino people and provide them with livelihood means, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., together with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual, led the opening of the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” caravan and distribution of financial assistance to small-scale enterprises in Pampanga on Monday.
During the event, the Chief Executive also witnessed the signing of the memorandum of agreement among different government agencies, such as the DTI, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Presidential Communications Office, and Presidential Management Staff for the massive roll out of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo to other local government units in the country.
This initiative is aimed at giving the consumers access to cheap yet quality basic commodities. Also, it is crucial to attain food security in the Philippines.
On the other hand, the fund distribution is intended to support businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis, calamities, and other catastrophes to start anew post-pandemic.
A total of P6.541 million in monetary assistance was handed by the DTI to small enterprises during the ceremonial distribution held at the Benigno Aquino Hall in San Fernando.
From this amount, 16 beneficiaries of the Pangkabuyan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa Program in the capital city of Pampanga received P11,900 each, or a sum of P190,400.
For the RISE UP Micro Multi-Purpose Loan Program, all the seven recipients got an aggregate monetary assistance of P6.351 million.
Prior to these activities, Kadiwa caravans were launched in other parts of the country to show the government’s bold effort to ensure the availability of affordable products to every Filipino.
Likewise, this program has been instrumental to expand the market reach of products of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that the DTI strengthens and supports.
Last July 14, the Kadiwa project was brought to Catarman, Samar, wherein the agency extended a total of P4.7 million, of which P1.2 million or P300,000 each was given to four RISE UP beneficiaries and P3.5 million to the lone recipient of monetary support courtesy of the Wholesale Microfinance Program.
Secretary Pascual expressed the support and cooperation of the DTI in implementing the Kadiwa ng Pangulo to various parts of the country.
“As part of our mandate to ensure affordable yet quality products and commodities for our people, we will continue to work with different government agencies to further beef up and expand the Kadiwa ng Pangulo. I want to thank President Marcos because of the Kadiwa we also help the MSMEs to promote their products,” Pascual said in mixed Filipino and English.
