NIA Launches ‘Kadiwa ng Pangulo’ Program in Negros Oriental Municipality

On Wednesday, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) inaugurated its Kadiwa ng Pangulo program in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, with the enthusiastic participation of various farmer groups from different towns and cities.

Engineer Helen Lacpao, head of the NIA-Negros Oriental Satellite Office, called on the public to rally behind local products and farmers, emphasizing the positive impact on their livelihoods.

“The Kadiwa is a strategy where our farmers can directly sell their produce to consumers at lower prices in the absence of middlemen, hence, this is a big help to them, especially for our irrigators’ associations,” Lacpao explained, using a mix of English and Cebuano.

This marks the inaugural Kadiwa event organized by NIA in partnership with the Sidlakang Negros Federation of Irrigators Associations, Inc. (SINEFIA) in the province.

Engineer Maria Donesa Autida, Acting Section Chief of Operations at NIA-Region 7, encouraged farmers to expand their cultivation efforts, highlighting the newfound platform enabling them to sell directly to consumers. Autida shared that NIA Region 7 recently launched the Kadiwa program in Bohol and Cebu, with plans for a similar initiative in Siquijor on December 1 and 2.

“We are supporting the Kadiwa not because of the marching orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but because we see the value of the program and how this can help not just the farmers but the community as well,” Autida stated.

Participating farmers and irrigators from various cities and municipalities, including Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina, Siaton, Zamboanguita, Sibulan, Valencia, Tanjay City, Pamplona, Ayungon, Tayasan, Mabinay, Bais City, Canlaon City, Guihulngan City, La Libertad, and Dauin, showcased their produce and products at the NIA-Sibulan compound during the Kadiwa sa NIA event.

Expressing gratitude for the positive response from farmers, Nilo Lauron, chairman of SINEFIA, expressed hope for increased collaboration with different farmers’ and irrigators’ associations in the region. Following the launch, Lauron affirmed plans to establish a regular schedule for the Kadiwa at NIA to continually bolster the livelihoods of farmers.