Senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan on Monday, March 24, underscored how buying produce directly from farmers is a win-win situation for farmers and local government units (LGUs). 

During a speech at the awarding of officers of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) in Parañaque City, the former senator and food security secretary shared how LGUs can bring the prices of food down. 

He said that through his Oplan Sagip Kamatis launched in Nueva Ecija to save some 12 tons of surplus tomatoes, the Muntinlupa City LGU was able to save three times the total amount it would have normally paid for five tons of tomatoes since the market price of tomatoes in Metro Manila now is at P100 per kilo.  

The purchase also helped farmers in Nueva Ecija with their revenues as the Muntinlupa City LGU bought the tomatoes at P25 to P30 (if with transportation cost) per kilo compared to the P4 per kilo being offered by middlemen to the farmers. 

“So kung bibili nang direkta sa magsasaka, times six ang kikitain ng mga magsasaka, divided by three naman ang matitipid ng LGU. Kumita magsasaka, nakatipid ang LGU,” Pangilinan said. 

He added that local governments are also assured that they’ll have access to fresh produce when they buy directly from farms. 

“Yan ang ibig sabihin ng food security (That’s what food security means),” the former senator stressed. “Ganyan ang paraan para mapababa ang presyo ng pagkain na lahat tayo makikinabang (That’s the way to bring down the prices of food that we can all benefit from).”

Pangilinan is advocating for food security in his run as senator in the coming May 2025 polls.