P20/kilogram rice highlights ‘Tiangge sa Fishcon’

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte --- A total of 1,000 individuals purchased 10 kilos of rice at P20 per kilo, and affordable agricultural products during the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo, Tiangge sa Fishcon.”

“Thank you National Food Authority, and Kadiwa ng Pangulo, we were able to buy ten kilos of rice at P20 per kilo, and this is a huge help for our additional food supply,” said Beatriz Oro, a 54-year-old resident of Barangay Mambalite, Daet.

Oro has eight children; three still live with them, and she and her husband earn their main income by making nipa shingles.

The Tiangge sa Fishcon was held in observance of the 62nd Fish Conservation Week Celebration at the Capitol grounds of Camarines Norte.

A total of 200 bags of rice were distributed, with each beneficiary receiving 10 kilos.

The recipients included senior citizens, 4Ps beneficiaries, solo parents, and persons with disabilities from different towns in Camarines Norte, said Isaias Burac, supervising agriculturist at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

He said that OPAg coordinated with the NFA and the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to request assistance in providing affordable rice to families in need.

Burac said OPAg plans to ask for support again from the Department of Agriculture and NFA during Rice Awareness Month in November. The aim is to provide affordable rice to residents, helping ease their expenses and support food security.

Farmers also sold their products at affordable prices. Employees from the provincial Capitol, other government agencies, and walk-in customers bought these items.

One customer, Eloisa Cabanela, a 50-year-old widow who works for the provincial government, bought products like honey, eggs, moringa coffee, turmeric, and native delicacies.

“The items are very cheap, delicious, and the eggs are organic, which is suitable for my 93-year-old mother,” said Cabanela.

Meanwhile, the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) of Basud town, which has active leaders in 23 barangays, was among those who participated in selling products. Their best-selling products included bagoong (fermented fish), tuyo (dried fish), rice coffee, pili nuts, banana chips, atchara (pickled papaya), peanut butter, polvoron, and various kakanin (native delicacies).

“One of our top-selling products is the bagoong from RIC Barangay Mangcamagong which reached P2,000 in sales per day. The bagoong is delicious and clean because we trained at the Municipal Agrarian Office of Basud on how to properly make the product,” said Kagawad Marife Grieta, also RIC municipal federation president.

Each barangay in Basud sold its own unique products at the Tiangge sa FishCon and their total sales reached P43,935 over the five-day period, she added.

In addition to the barangay sales, the 13 participating vendors, including the RIC of Basud, achieved total sales of over P250,000. This amount is separate from the P200,000 in rice sales managed by the OPAg. (PIA Bicol/Camarines Norte).