The Las Pinas City government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the launch of the Enhanced Kadiwa Inclusive Food Supply Chain Program to ensure food availability and accessibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar said that under the agreement, the DA will provide financial grant assistance to participating eligible organizations and local government units (LGUs) to enhance their capacities in value-adding activities in the food supply chains from aggregation, processing, packing, store, warehousing, and transport to distribution.
Aguilar said the project, under the agreement, shall focus on the implementation of two Kadiwa Stores in the city where the project aims to enable selected market vendors to have funds for the renovation and improvement of the Kadiwa store.
She said the DA shall download funds to the city which shall be granted to the Pagsasarali Talipapa Multi-purpose Cooperative and the Las Piñas Meat Dealers Association of which both organizations will receive P1 million each.
The mayor said that under the agreement, DA’s obligation through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service or AMAS shall provide financial grant to the city in the amount of P2,000,000 to be funded under the Market Development Services of FY 2021 General Appropriation Act 11518.
Vice-Mayor April Aguilar said the DA’s financial grant will be used in the implementation of the “Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Financial Grant Assistance Program” to be released in full accordance with the approved project proposal as well as the work and financial plan contained in the agreement.
“On our side, the city’s obligation is to implement the approved project and shall see to it that it will be in accordance with the approved project objectives, standards, systems, and procedures for project implementation, and the approved Work and Financial Plan contained in the agreement,” Vice-Mayor Aguilar said.
She added that the funding assistance coming from the DA may be released in full or in tranches depending on the nature and the need of the project.