The dream of P20-per-kilo rice may have moved a step closer to becoming a reality on Monday, July 17, after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will establish Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) centers across the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office) The signing between key government agencies and local government units (LGU) happened in San Fernando, Pampanga, where the Chief Executive also led the distribution of various government assistance and rendering of various government social services. In his speech, Marcos lauded the cooperation among the national government, LGUs, government agencies, and the private sector. “We gather here to mark a significant event. It is the signing of the memo of agreement for the Kadiwa ng Pangulo with all LGUs. We institutionalized the establishment of Kadiwa ng Pangulo now in the local level,” he said. In explaining the “simple” essence of Kadiwa, the President underscored how it eliminates the need for the “middle man” by bridging the farmers directly to the market. “Para sa ganyang paraan ay maipagbili natin ng presyo na mababa. Kaya’t sa labas nakita ko sitenta na lang ang asukal. Yun pa rin ang ating hangarin na P20 na bigas. Wala pa tayo run, pero ginagawa natin ang lahat (In that way, we can sell products at lower prices. Outside, I saw that sugar is only P70. That remains our goal—P20 rice. We are not there yet, but we are doing all we can),” he added. But to do this, he underscored the need for everyone to work together. “Kailangan natin ang tulong ng lahat ng ating mga kababayan dahil hindi kaya ng government lamang, ng national government, local government lamang. Kailangan kasama din natin dyan mga negosyante (We need help from all our countrymen because the government, the national government, the local government cannot do this alone. We also need the businessmen),” Marcos said. “Kasama din natin bawat isang Pilipino na pare-pareho ang sinusundan ang plano upang maramdaman naman natin ang sumusulong at gumaganda ang ating ekonomiya (We are also with each Filipino who follows the plan for us to realize the progressing economy),” he added. The signing of the MOA was an example of his administration’s “whole-of-government approach” as the President took pride in the presence of several cabinet secretaries to lead the event. Marcos furthered that in a “complicated economic system,” there is a need for everyone to be on board in addressing the problems of high prices of commodities and the secretaries there vowed to cooperate in making sure Kadiwa would be a success nationwide. Among the MOA signatories were the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Presidential Communications Office (PCO), and Presidential Management Staff (PMS). He discussed further what were being done under the program, which included increasing the production of agri-commodities, such as rice, corn, and fish, as well as solving the problems with Avian Flu and African Swine Fever. The DA has also put up cold storages near fishing grounds because, as the President shared, up to 30 percent of catch end up rotting because of the lack of proper storage units. He also aims to make fish exports more competitive through packaging and marketing, as well as negotiating with buyers and suppliers. “Yan po ang prinsipyo sa likod ng Kadiwa program. Ang prinsipyo na ang lahat ng produkto na galing dito sa Pilipinas ay tutulungan natin, susuportahahin natin (That’s the principle behind the Kadiwa program. The principle that we will help all products from the Philippines, we will support),” Marcos said. As of June 16, 2023, there are 342 Kadiwa outlets nationwide.