Local product hub in Agusan Sur joins Kadiwa ng Pangulo with agrarian reform beneficiaries
Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur – As hundreds of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from all over Caraga Region gathered during the visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad of this province, on February 16, the One Town, One Product (OTOP) hub of San Francisco also joined in the Kadiwa ng Pangulo by showcasing various local food products from the municipality and the province.
The OTOP products were collectively consolidated by the Integrated Producers Association of the Prosperidad Agusan del Sur Inc. (IPAPADSI).
Representing 20 OTOP-assisted micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) coming from the different municipalities in the province, the products displayed and sold were bread and pastries, turmeric and ginger tea, calamansi concentrate, coffee and cacao-based products, coconut oil, coco-sugar, coco-vinegar, condiments, mushroom by-products and other processed food items.
The OTOP products were showcased alongside the fresh fruits and vegetables by the farmers supported and assisted by the provincial government of Agusan del Sur through its program on Upland Sustainable Agri-forestry Development Convergence (USAD). Products from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-assisted communities were also displayed.
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo was co-organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - Agusan del Sur, together with the Agusan del Sur Provincial Agriculture and Veterinary Office in support to the DAR’s distribution of electronic land titles (e-titles) and Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs), during the President’s visit.
According to the organizer, some 2,769 agrarian reform beneficiaries were in attendance during the event. The huge crowd patronized the OTOP products, leading to sales amounting to P11,984.
“The impact of the IPAPADSI as an OTOP hub - San Francisco operator who participated in the fair at the Kadiwa ng Pangulo is quite significant. We have increased our product visibility and boosted our sales in just a few hours of selling. It also provided a platform for us to connect directly with consumers from other provinces,” said Feliciano Mordeno, Jr., president of IPAPADSI, who expressed happiness over the sales generated.
Kadiwa ng Pangulo is a farm-to-consumer program that provides Filipino consumers’ access to low-priced and quality produce from local producers. The initiative is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the prices of agricultural commodities, manufactured basic necessities, and prime commodities (BNPCs).
Further, the OTOP hub is the market access flagship program of the DTI that serves as a marketing vehicle and incubation platform to promote and champion OTOP products. (DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
