If people cannot go to the market because of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Quarantine Protocols, then let the market go to the people.
On Sunday, over breakfast, I will meet with the Food Security Team of the Province of North Cotabato to finalize the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Rolling Tienda Program which I have proposed to Gov. Nancy Catamco to ensure the sustained supply of food for families confined in their homes because of the Lockdown imposed by local government units.
The Rolling Tienda, a program which I personally crafted, is not an original or new idea. I only patterned this after the enterprising provincial businessmen who use multi-cabs and tricycles with very loud sound systems to sell fish in the interior rural areas.
Before that there were also rolling store programs implemented during the Marcos years under the Kadiwa program.
The MinDA Rolling Tienda is our answer now to the logistical problem of delivering food supplies to rural communities whose access to the market is affected by the curfews, community quarantine and lockdown protocols.
Under the concept which I will present to Gov. Catamco on Sunday, each municipality in the province will be asked to submit data on the number of households in each barangay.
The LGUs will also be asked to devote one or two vehicles for the program.
One of the vehicles will be loaded with the most basic necessities: rice in packs of 2 and 5 kilos, meat and dressed meat also in 1 kilo packs, vegetables, salt, sugar and spices needed by the households.
The other vehicle will procure and load whatever food commodities are produced in excess in a specific community like vegetables or bananas.
A logistics center where the goods will be packed will be established in each town or city.
Each town will be divided into 7 Zones and the Rolling Tienda vehicles will serve one zone daily, of course equipped with the loud music and loudspeakers to announce their presence in the community.
To make the program sustainable, young out-of-school youths will be asked to handle the program to be initially funded by the provincial government of North Cotabato.
For North Cotabato, the pilot area for the implementation of the program will be the capital city of Kidapawan with 50 barangays and a population of about 100,000.
After North Cotabato, this program will be replicated in other provinces and cities and will form part of the Self-Sustaining Food Security Strategy initiated by the Mindanao Development Authority.
I hold no patent to this idea and other local government units, including those outside of Mindanao, who may find the program applicable to their areas, are encouraged to implement it.
(Image and illustration by John Pagaduan)
If people cannot go to the market because of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Quarantine Protocols, then let the market go to the people.
On Sunday, over breakfast, I will meet with the Food Security Team of the Province of North Cotabato to finalize the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Rolling Tienda Program which I have proposed to Gov. Nancy Catamco to ensure the sustained supply of food for families confined in their homes because of the Lockdown imposed by local government units.
The Rolling Tienda, a program which I personally crafted, is not an original or new idea. I only patterned this after the enterprising provincial businessmen who use multi-cabs and tricycles with very loud sound systems to sell fish in the interior rural areas.
Before that there were also rolling store programs implemented during the Marcos years under the Kadiwa program.
The MinDA Rolling Tienda is our answer now to the logistical problem of delivering food supplies to rural communities whose access to the market is affected by the curfews, community quarantine and lockdown protocols.
Under the concept which I will present to Gov. Catamco on Sunday, each municipality in the province will be asked to submit data on the number of households in each barangay.
The LGUs will also be asked to devote one or two vehicles for the program.
One of the vehicles will be loaded with the most basic necessities: rice in packs of 2 and 5 kilos, meat and dressed meat also in 1 kilo packs, vegetables, salt, sugar and spices needed by the households.
The other vehicle will procure and load whatever food commodities are produced in excess in a specific community like vegetables or bananas.
A logistics center where the goods will be packed will be established in each town or city.
Each town will be divided into 7 Zones and the Rolling Tienda vehicles will serve one zone daily, of course equipped with the loud music and loudspeakers to announce their presence in the community.
To make the program sustainable, young out-of-school youths will be asked to handle the program to be initially funded by the provincial government of North Cotabato.
For North Cotabato, the pilot area for the implementation of the program will be the capital city of Kidapawan with 50 barangays and a population of about 100,000.
After North Cotabato, this program will be replicated in other provinces and cities and will form part of the Self-Sustaining Food Security Strategy initiated by the Mindanao Development Authority.
I hold no patent to this idea and other local government units, including those outside of Mindanao, who may find the program applicable to their areas, are encouraged to implement it.
(Image and illustration by John Pagaduan)
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