Municipal market infrastructure operators from the 10 municipalities and city of Bohol attended a two-day training session on March 12-13, 2025 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Conducted by the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA7), through its Agriculture and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), the training aimed to improve project implementation, strengthen understanding of the trading post operations, as well as update on the operations manual.
Trained market operators were from the municipalities of Bilar, Candijay, Catigbian, Mabini, Getafe, Ubay, San Miguel, Guindulman, Clarin, and Tagbilaran City. Of these areas, seven were recipients of DA’s funded trading post which were Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Clarin, San Miguel, Talibon, Sagbayan, and Getafe, with Sagbayan as the most recently operational site.
Edmar Fajutagana, the market-related infrastructure focal of the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Services (DA-AMAS) encouraged the participants to focus on reducing transport and logistics costs to improve efficiency, which would benefit both farmers and consumers at trading posts.
“Ang habulin natin ngayon ay doon tayo papunta sa serbisyo publiko, doon po tayo mag-focus,” Fajutagana said.
Ana Delza S. Barimbao, the Agribusiness Industry Support Section chief, stressed the importance of fast-tracking the launching, opening, and operationalization of market infrastructure, highlighting the crucial role of market infrastructure in ensuring food availability. “Market infrastructure is very important in the market economy; without the market, there is no food to purchase,” she said.
Participants shared updates on their existing trading facilities, to include efforts to improve trading post functions, expand market linkages, and strengthen the KADIWA Program.
Meanwhile, John Rick Delgado of AMAD presented the updates on Administrative Circular No. 4, Series of 2025, which sets the Maximum Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for premium imported rice (5% broken) at ₱49 per kilo, effective March 10, 2025. He also discussed cost structure computations and the validation process for premium rice brands based on market conditions. Delgado introduced digital tools for real-time price monitoring, which will be provided to LGUs to ensure compliance with the Price Act of the Philippines.
In addition, Jenie Evardo of DA7 AMAD provided information about the KADIWA retail selling in various platforms such as stores, pop-up stores, mobile units, and outlets with the goal of promoting locally produced goods.
The KADIWA Program aims to improve market access for local producers and ensure affordable food prices for consumers.