PGIN rolls out ‘Kadiwa’ outlet in Capitol Express

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos brought the first "Kadiwa ni Manang Imee" (rolling store) to Pagudpud during Capitol Express on December 9, 2014. The basic goods and food items, sourced directly from the manufacturers and farmer-beneficiaries of the provincial government, sold at the Kadiwa ni Manang Imee are priced lower than the prevailing market rates and will roll out wherever the Capitol Express is conducted. (Alaric A. Yanos)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Laoag City—With the increasing prices of basic commodities, the Ilocos Norte provincial government dug deep into history and revived the “Kadiwa” project of the late former Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos in the 1970s.

The Kadiwa project was actually a brainchild of then-First Lady Imelda R. Marcos where a rolling store sells basic goods at much lower prices than prevailing market rates. In 2010, Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. batted for the return of the Kadiwa project to help the poor.

This month, Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos formally revived the program in Ilocos Norte with the launch of “Kadiwa ni Manang Imee” at the Pagudpud Cultural Center on Dec. 9.

The Kadiwa-type rolling store is manned by Capitol workers every time there is a scheduled Capitol Express (CapEx) in the different clustered barangays of the province. Various commodities such as rice, local fruits and vegetables including coffee, instant noodles and sardines are sold to residents at a lower price.

Free medical checkup and medicines are among the services which can be availed at Manang Imee's Capitol Express, a roving one-stop-shop of frontline services of the PGIN. (Alaric A. Yanos)

“This ‘Kadiwa ni Manang Imee’ is an experiment, a project that we are launching here in Pagudpud because I have heard that existing market rates of grocery as well as food items here are high,” said Ms. Marcos.

She also added that the project “does not mean to break the businesses of the sellers in the public market but to support the local farmers and less-fortunate Ilocanos.”

“The grocery items are sourced out directly from the manufacturers so it is guaranteed that prices will be lower compared to the market ones while the vegetables are supplied by Ilocano farmers who are being supported by the provincial government,” noted Edwin Cariño, Millennium Development Goals (MDG) office head in the province.

“I am so grateful that I was able to purchase rice at the Kadiwa ni Manang Imee’ with its price lower than its market rate,” said Rolida Abendanio, 55, of Barangay Saud, Pagudpud.

One of the early buyers like Faith Calventas of Brgy. Saud in Pagudpud said many of her neighbors took advantage of the Kadiwa project because the items are a lot cheaper than those sold in the market.

“Napalaos ti yamanmi kadaytoy baro a proyekto ti gobierno. Adu ti masalimetmetmi. Sapay koma ta agtultuloy daytoy ket maiwaras iti ad-adu pay a barangay,” said Rolinda Avendanio, also a resident in the coastal barangay of Saud.

After its successful launching in Pagudpud town, the Kadiwa rolling store will be in the second district of Ilocos Norte today particularly in Batac, Badoc and Banna on Dec. 12.

According to Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Lilian Rin, the revival of the Kadiwa project is also a way of helping farmers by helping them sell their produce. 

Oplan Pakni

Meanwhile, the provincial government started to distribute cash incentives during the CapEx on December 9 to the members of several communities in the province who rendered work during the Oplan Pakni of the provincial government.

“The Oplan Pakni is a cash for work program of Governor Imee for the people who were hard-hit by typhoon Mario and living on high dengue risk barangays of Ilocos Norte,” said Eric Pascua, Provincial Investment Office head.

Oplan Pakni has employed a total of 1,473 workers from the different municipalities of Ilocos Norte and they were tasked to help in the cleaning brigade during the aftermath of typhoon Mario.

“The Oplan Pakni aims to respond to the economic impact of the typhoon and to address sanitation issues due to debris and stagnant water,” Mr. Pascua added.

Governor Marcos hands over cash incentives to workers of "Oplan Pakni", the cleaning brigade during the aftermath of typhoon Mario, during Manang Imee's Capitol Express held December 9, 2014 in Pagudpud. A(laric A. Yanos)

Manang Imee’s Capitol Express is set to visit the following municipalities and cities this December: Pagudpud (December 9), Badoc, Banna and Batac (December 10), San Nicolas, Dingras and Sarrat (December 11), Bacarra, Vintar, Tamdagan, Laoag City (December 12), Piddig (December 18) and Burgos (December 19). (With a report from John Michael Mugas)