DAVAO CITY – Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat has pleaded to market vendors who oppose the establishment of a permanent Kadiwa store in the city to refrain from threatening her of a backlash in the 2025 elections. Rabat aired the appeal after Mati City joined other local government units during the nationwide launching of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo on July 17, Monday, led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Kadiwa is a market linkage facilitation initiative by the Department of Agriculture (DA). Its primary objective is to expand the accessibility, availability, and affordability of essential products like rice, rice, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and other vital commodities in impoverished households. According to reports, some vendors operating in the public markets opposed the establishment of a Kadiwa store. Their concern stems from the potential impact on their sales, as the prices of goods offered at the Kadiwa store are much lower than those available in the public market. Based on their price monitoring, at the Kadiwa store, a single-dressed chicken is available for P160 compared to the P200 in the regular market. The significant price difference can be attributed to the direct sale of products from farmers to consumers through the Kadiwa store, eliminating the intermediaries in the traditional market system. Rabat, in her program “Magtanong Kay MNR,” aired on the official Facebook page of the City of Mati LGU on July 19, Wednesday, said that threatening her of a backlash in the May 2025 elections would never prevent her from doing her job. “Do not use that against me. Do not intimidate an official using the upcoming election. That must not stop me from doing my job because this is my job. Do not attempt to blackmail us that there will be the next election,” Rabat said in the vernacular. Rabat said that she has nothing personal against these vendors and that it is their right to express their sentiments about establishing the Kadiwa store. However, as long as she is elected mayor, she will do her job for the benefit of Mati City, she added. Rabat earlier led the local launching of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo at the Kadiwa Store in Nazareno in Barangay Central, Mati City, along with other officials and guests. She said Mati City government prioritized agriculture even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Rabat had aired concern that the pandemic’s impact on the economy might lead to food scarcity, making it crucial for Mati City to step up its efforts to ensure food security and be resilient even in the face of post-pandemic challenges.