Bongbong, Sara want more 'bagsakan,' 'bulungan' posts for agri products
If elected, presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and aspiring vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio will establish more "bagsakan" and "bulungan" system or trading posts in the country to give Filipinos access to lower agricultural products.
Both Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio noted how high transportation costs affect the retail price of agricultural products, so they proposed a way to enhance the distribution channels.
"Moving goods around the country is expensive, and as a result, buyers shoulder this cost at the retail level. To even have a fighting chance of lowering retail prices, we need to create an efficient agriculture supply chain starting with these modern trading posts," the duo's UniTeam alliance said Friday.
"Bagsakan" is a hub that serves as initial delivery points for fish, meat, poultry products, fresh vegetables as well as fruits. Meanwhile, "bulungan (whispering)" is a system that buyers and sellers use in trading or transacting.
UniTeam also proposed to equip planned agricultural produce markets with cold-storage facilities to prolong the shelf life of high-value products as well as to ensure consistent quality of the farm goods.
The duo said they would closely coordinate with local government units (LGUs) executives in urban and rural areas to identify the most suitable location for both the permanent and temporary trading posts.
Aside from addressing the supply chain issue, UniTeam also plans to give employment and entrepreneurial opportunities by including a proposal to upgrade public wet markets in the country.
"At first glance, it would seem that these are lofty goals, but we are serious in giving our people the public service that they deserve—affordable food for their family. We will prove that this is doable through hard work and sheer will," UniTeam said.
"We need to encourage consumers to 'buy local' since not only is it advantageous for our farmers and the family budget, it will also be a boon for the environment. There will be less production of greenhouse gasses since there will be a reduction in the number of trips needed to deliver the goods with these trading posts in place," it added.