In her effort to alleviate the public’s concern on the rising prices of basic goods especially rice, Gov. Gwen Garcia convened on Thursday, October 5, regional heads of key government agencies in coming up with solutions to the problem.
Gov. Garcia suggested to them that a rent-free one-stop shop be established in every municipalities where farmers can sell their produce at cheaper prices and NFA rice is sold at P25 per kilo.
Once realized, this “convergence” market will operate daily to give people an avenue to shop for cheap goods amid the rising inflation.
Gov. Garcia also looks to secure the support of the mayors whom she is set to meet on Friday, Oct. 6, for the Provincial Development Council meeting.
The LGUs will be the ones to identify the location of this pop-up market which should be available rent-free so sellers can trade at lower prices.
For Gov. Garcia, this is the best solution to combat the rising prices instead of indulging “mendicant mentality”.
She pointed out that the heart of the problem is the rising prices and not that people have no money to buy.
Thus, the solution should be to bring down prices of basic goods. She asked the NFA to allocate rice supply intended for this purpose which will now directly go to the grassroots.
The agencies present during the meeting expressed their support to the governor’s initiative which would hopefully be replicated in other provinces once successfully implemented.
The Provincial Government would be working with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, and the National Food Authority to pull off this plan as soon as possible. | Carlo Lorenciana
