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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Ito ang tama!': Cops, civic groups establish reliable distribution network for farmers amid oversupply, fuel cost woes

'Ito ang tama!': Cops, civic groups establish reliable distribution network for farmers amid oversupply, fuel cost woes

Published Apr 26, 2026 01:12 pm
Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, Deputy Chef for Operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP), leads the launching of the "Rescue the Crop, Beat the Pump" program to establish a strong distribution network of agricultural products.
Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, Deputy Chef for Operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP), leads the launching of the "Rescue the Crop, Beat the Pump" program to establish a strong distribution network of agricultural products.
As the government initiated interventions to assist farmers, policemen and civic groups crafted and implemented their own measures to help farmers in the distribution of their agricultural products.
Dubbed as “Rescue the Crop, Beat the Pump”, the initiative is aimed at delivering timely assistance to both farmers and public transport workers, according to Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan O. Okubo, the Deputy Chief for Operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“This initiative reflects the essence of public service—where compassion meets action and partnerships create meaningful impact,” said Okubo, who also heads the Rotary Club of Camp Crame.
“The initiative addressed two pressing concerns: the oversupply of agricultural produce affecting farmers and the continuing economic strain on transport workers amid rising fuel costs and inflation,” he explained.
The program was conceptualized amid reports before that farmers were forced to either sell their products at very low price or dump them due to lack of distribution networks.
And Okubo is fully aware of the situation of the farmers as he is from the Cordillera Administrative Region, one of the major suppliers of vegetables in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.
Under the program, Okubo said fresh vegetables sourced directly from farmers in Benguet were procured at fair value and distributed to jeepney drivers, transport workers, and other daily wage earners in Metro Manila.
In a send-off activity for the launch of the program, approximately 25 tons of fresh vegetables—including chayote, cabbage, Chinese pechay, and radish—were distributed to an estimated 1,000 beneficiaries.
Okubo said the distribution process was coordinated with various transport groups based in San Juan City and Quezon City.
“This approach helped ensure market recovery for farmers while providing essential food support to vulnerable sectors,” said Okubo.
The initiative was led by the Rotary Club of Camp Crame in collaboration with the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Trustrade, the Network of Young Law Enforcers, the PNPA “Tagapamagitan” Class of 2013, and the Police Regional Office – Cordillera Administrative Region.
“This activity underscores a scalable model of collaboration between civic organizations and uniformed services in addressing immediate socio-economic challenges while promoting sustainable community support mechanisms,’ said Okubo.

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