BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Benguet farmers and traders have something huge to look forward to as Rep. Eric Go Yap (ACT-CIS party-list) and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte are set to finalize an agreement that will boost the sale and distribution of locally-grown vegetables.
While the agreement is still being finalized, Yap said the Quezon City government will directly buy vegetables and other produce from Benguet for the city's relief operations and feeding program.
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"I am very excited and thankful, it was a weekend well spent. We will finalize an agreement with the Quezon City government where they will regularly purchase Benguet vegetables and other products for their needs. Yung mga relief operations nila, mga feeding program ng LGU, their vegetable needs, manggagaling na sa Benguet," Yap said after meeting with Mayor Belmonte.
Aside from purchasing vegetables for relief and feeding programs, Quezon City will also hold a farmers' market every week come April for Benguet vegetable farmers.
"They will also launch a fresh market during weekends this summer season, free ang rent ng space natin, walang babayaran yung farmers and may free living quarters din for our farmers, at marami pang iba," Yap added.
The lawmaker added that aside from Quezon City, agreements with other major cities in the country will also be forged for Benguet farmers to directly market their produce.
"We will do this with other major cities as well, nandyan naman ang demand, kailangan lang mai-connect ng tama para makarating yung supply galing sa atin at walang lugi ang farmers," added Yap, who is caretaker legislator for Benguet.
The Benguet lawmaker further said these are just some of the few programs that are in the pipeline to help Benguet farmers who are still bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and smuggling.
"Yung efforts to help our local agriculture industry, hindi lang limited dapat sa long term solutions like farm to market roads and better storage facilities. Parallel dapat may ibang perspective din sa pagsolve sa problema, we have to expand our market for our produces. Bukod din sa coordination natin with national government sa anti vegetable smuggling efforts," said Yap.
Mayor Belmonte welcomed the agreement with Benguet, while citing tjat this will also help the vegetable industry in reaching out to more markets in the country.
"We are very delighted to be working closely with Congressman Eric Yap on aspects with mutual benefits for us like this. We will welcome Benguet products and hopefully makatulong kami and mai-promote din sa local businesses sa Quezon City," Belmonte beamed.