President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the government would support farmers, fisherfolk and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to improve their production and sustain the Kadiwa outlets nationwide.
In an ambush interview with reporters on the sideline of the government livelihood and relief assistance distribution at the CWC-Kafuerte Sports in Pili, Camarines Sur, the President noted that the only way to keep Kadiwa outlets operational is to boost the production of local producers.
“Production. Isa lang ang sagot diyan kasi kung hindi kaya ng production, mag-i-import tayo. And sa lahat ng iniiwasan natin ‘yung mag-import. Kaya’t ang pinapatibay natin ‘yung production side na ‘yan. Kasi kung marami at may sistema tayong maganda na mapaparating sa palengke, sa market, ‘yung mga bilihin ay makokontrol natin ang presyo,” the President stressed.
“Pero basta’t tumaas ang production, tumaas ang ating production, bababa ang production cost, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin tapos ‘yung pag-transport, ‘yung pag-process, lahat ‘yan kasama na ang gobyerno na tumutulong,” the chief executive pointed out.
President Marcos said boosting the local production in the area will slowly insulate the country from importing goods from other nations, thus managing inflation.
“ So ‘yun ang general system na ating ginagawa. Pero ang puno’t dulo niyan, para mawala na ‘yung importation, para patuloy, hindi na natin kailangan bayaran ‘yung inflation na nanggagaling sa ibang lugar dahil nag-i-import tayo roon. Basta’t nandito lang tayo kumukuha,” the President noted.
With the challenges in improving local production in the country, the chief executive said they are eyeing to transform agriculture into “a high-tech operation.”
“We have to convert the Department of Agriculture into a high-tech operation dahil that’s the only way na ngayon to increase production. So we have to bring the technology. The technology exists, nandyan naman eh… Pero matutunan natin ‘yung pinakamagagandang bagong technique at estratehiya para sa pagsasaka at ipapasa natin ‘yan sa mga farmer,” said the chief executive, also serves sa Agriculture secretary.
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