A LOCAL barangay captain is calling on the Davao City government to legislate an ordinance mandating all supermarkets in the city to buy products directly from the farmers.
"Kasagaran man gud sa mga malls, supermarkets nagapalit sila og product sa gawas or mga imported products. What if naa legislation, na si local (supermarkets), ang unahon nila (og palit nga mga ibaligya nga products) gikan sa mga locally farmed produced (Most malls and supermarkets import their fresh produce. We are proposing a legislation wherein local supermarkets would prioritize sourcing products from local farmers)," Barangay Malabog village chief JessielitoAreja said Wednesday, November 20, during the formal launching of the Peace Economy in the Ateneo de Davao University.
Peace Economy is a initiative program of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio under the Peace 911 program in Paquibato. It aims to stimulate economic development based on wealth sharing.
Areja said his barangay had a partnership with Helen's Farms wherein vegetables in Paquibato are being bought at a high price from the producers and sold at a low price to the consumers.
He said he hopes the social-entrepreneur project in Malabog, a vegetable-producing barangay in Paquibato District, would prosper and would give wide opportunity for their farmers to generate income as their items are being sold in certain supermarkets in the city.
The official said the project had since eliminated the “middlemen,” who buy their item at a lower price.
He said Peace Economy had capacitated the farmers to produce products that are quality standard to be sold in markets in the city.
Areja said only New City Commercial Corporation (NCCC), Helen's Farm's partner store, has so far the stores that offer direct linkage.
While he said the program had brought economic improvement in the area, he hopes more establishments would be open to the direct linkage.
"Isa na sa amo nakita nga importanteng long term solution, para masiguro nato ang welfare sa atong mag-uuma sa Davao (This is one of the long term solutions we are seeing to ensure the welfare of our farmers in Davao)," Areja said, adding that Paquibato has a "bountiful" production of vegetables, but they are lacking markets to sell their products.
Restaurant Owners Association of Davao City president Benjamin Lizada also urged heads of restaurants, hotels, resorts, and supermarkets to join the campaign to link producers of various goods and services in Paquibato with the Davao market.