Just in time for the start of Ramadan, the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC) gathered some of its AFC members to supply agri-fishery products for the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita program in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur on April 23 to 24, 2020.

The two-day activity was part of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) measures to establish linkage between producers and consumers during the time of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). 

Kadiwa also promotes the consumption of food that has high nutritional value and could be sold at an affordable price. This could be helpful to Muslims’ nutritional requirements during Ramadan.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during Ramadan is an important task among healthy adult Muslims. However, when the entire Zamboanga Peninsula is placed under ECQ, which restricts movements of the people, Muslims have difficulty in preparing food for the iftar (meal to break the fast after sunset) and suhoor (meal taken before sunrise, before fasting starts).

Spearheaded by the DA Regional Field Office 9, PAFC Zamboanga del Sur helped in establishing Kadiwa in different areas as a way to improve market accessibility and contain movement due to the ECQ. 

“Because Kadiwa opened on the first day of Ramadan, we have prepared freshly caught and dried fish, turnips (singkamas), watermelon, fresh eggs, dressed chicken and different kinds of vegetables,” said Zamboanga del Sur PAFC Coordinator Julio Segundo. 

According to him, the 2-day Kadiwa approximately served 800 residents. ### (Angelica Grace Carpio of PDD-SMS, edited by jc)