By Lane Afable, News Editor
Local government units received hundreds of kilos of vegetables from La Trinidad, Benguet, as part of a distribution effort led by the Office of the President to provide food assistance to families in need, with local officials overseeing the rollout to qualified beneficiaries.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally visited the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) on Friday, purchasing 20 tons of agricultural products to support farmers affected by rising fuel costs.
Quezon City and Pasay City were among the first LGUs to receive vegetables, and they promptly posted on their respective Facebook accounts.
In Quezon City, the vegetable supplies arrived at City Hall for distribution to “QCitizens,” with several local officials present to receive the shipment. Photos of the vegetables being unloaded from a bus were posted on the QC government Facebook account.
“Dumating na sa Quezon City Hall ang daan-daang kilo ng gulay mula sa mga magsasaka sa La Trinidad, Benguet, hatid ng Office of the President para sa mga pamilyang QCitizen,” the city government posted on FB.
Among those who attended the turnover were Chief of Staff Rowena Macatao, District Action Officers Atty. Zandy Zacate and Atty. Bong Teodoro, City General Services Department head Fe Bass, Traffic and Transport Management Department head Dexter Cardenas, and Zennette Mariano of the Office of the President.
A similar distribution effort was conducted in Pasay City, where the local government confirmed that the vegetables would be given to residents identified as most in need.
Also on a post on the FB account, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano personally received the vegetables, which were loaded into transparent plastic containers, and will be distributed to selected beneficiaries.
“Personal nating tinanggap ngayong gabi ang Vegetable Distribution mula sa Office of the President of the Philippines na ating ipamamahagi at masusing pinili ng DSWD para sa mga mas higit na nangangailangan na mga minamahal na Pasayeño,” the mayor said.
Calixto-Rubiano also expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the continued assistance.
“Muli, maraming salamat po, Pangulong Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., sa patuloy na malasakit sa ating mga kababayan,” she added.
The vegetables were brought to the Philippine School for the Blind, Galvez St., cor Figueroa St., Pasay City.
The initiative is part of the national government’s ongoing efforts to provide food support and help farmers by sourcing produce directly from agricultural areas such as Benguet.-
In Caloocan, vegetables were taken to the distribution area at the back of Caloocan City Hall North.
In Navotas City, vegetables were taken to the drop-off point at the Navotas Convention Center.
In Malabon City, Brgy. Potrero Hall, Brgy. Potrero, Malabon City, served as the drop-off point for the vegetables.
Other drop-off points include DSWD NCR at Bago Bantay, Quezon City (Back of SM North); DSWD Walang Gutom Kitchen at the Nasdake Building, 50 Williams Corner, FB Harrison Street, Barangay 13, Pasay City, City of Manila, at the Delpan Sports Complex, Bureau of Corrections – New Bilibid Prison (Muntinlupa), and Manila City Jail.
