To bring quality and affordable fish and fishery products to residents in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the country, amid the community quarantine due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture (DA) conducts complementary initiatives under the “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” marketing program, namely: ‘isDA On-the-Go’ and ‘Seafood Kadiwa.’

The two Kadiwa projects sell fresh, frozen, or dried fish products that are cheaper than those sold in public wet markets and supermarkets. These include galunggong, tilapia, bangus, tulingan, salay-salay, pampano, blue crabs, mackerel, cream dory, squid rings, mixed seafoods, tinapa, and daing, among others.

“Through ‘isDA on the go’ and ‘Seafood Kadiwa,’ we are making the fishers, fishpond owners, and consumers the real winners as we connect them directly, skipping traditional market layers or middlemen,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

“Hence, the fishers and producers gain bigger profit, while consumers benefit from cheaper quality fish products,” said the DA chief, adding that “it is a ‘win-win situation’ for all players along the fishery supply chain.”

The ‘Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita’ marketing program was launched in September 2019, barely one month after Secretary Dar assumed office.

The ‘isDA on the go’ is a project of the DA’s Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), while the ‘Seafood Kadiwa’ is handled by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The ‘isDA on the go’ has three modalities: retailing market, Kadiwa partnership, and direct sales to groups, institutions, and villages.

Retailing market is coursed through 18 Waltermart outlets in the NCR and nearby towns, while Kadiwa partnership is a tie-up with ‘Kadiwa on Wheels’ of the DA’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

The PFDA, as of May 5, has sold a total of 33,685 kilos of fish and fishery products, benefiting more than 526,000 persons in 35 barangays and communities.

Meanwhile, the ‘Seafood Kadiwa’ of the BFAR has served, as of May 6, 420 barangays in 42 municipalities and eight cities nationwide.

In Metro Manila, specifically in Makati and Quezon City, ‘Seafood Kadiwa’ outlets have to date sold 2,350 kilos of fresh fish, benefiting about 42,000 individuals, the BFAR reported.

“We want to institutionalize both ‘isDA on the go’ and ‘Seafood Kadiwa’ even after the Covid-19 crisis to continuously provide our countrymen adequate supply of quality and affordable fish and fishery products,” Secretary Dar concluded. ### (Rita dela Cruz, StratComms)