By Charmaine Odong-Pangan

 

STA. CRUZ, Laguna, Philippines (PIA) — In support of local farmers affected by the rising cost of fuel amid the crisis, the provincial government of Laguna launched the “Laguna Pantry Program” last April 13 to help ease their burden and provide free vegetables to the public.

According to Governor Sol Aragones, this initiative is part of their action to help local farmers by sourcing out their fresh vegetable produce and distribute them to communities and beneficiaries across the four districts of the province.

“These vegetables will be purchased from farmers and vegetable growers in Laguna. This is why we spoke with them earlier, so that they can at least have some additional income,” Aragones stated in her official Facebook video.

The provincial government earlier visited farmers in the Nagcarlan town and personally spoke with them to assess their situation.

The Laguna Pantry will procure produce directly from farmers, repackage it, and distribute it to residents.

She added, “This way we could help our fellow citizens, even in small ways. We will package the vegetables into chopseuy package and ginisa package.”

As the implementation expands, the provincial government assured farmers that it will source products from each district in Laguna to ensure wider participation and stronger support for local agriculture, while maintaining a steady supply for beneficiaries.

Despite budget constraints, the governor said the initiative comes at a crucial time for local farmers who were badly hit by high oil prices, at the same time, to strengthen food security through farm-to-community distribution.

Meanwhile, the program will be rolled out in phases, with scheduled distribution to ensure orderly and equitable access for beneficiaries, while the public is advised to await official announcements on the governor’s social media accounts to know the distribution schedule. (COP/PIA-CALABARZON)