CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - The Department of Agriculture-Central Luzon (DA-3) has provided some PHP10 million in financial grants to qualified farmer and fisherfolk cooperatives and associations (FCAs) as well as local government units (LGUs). The grants were given under the DA's Enhanced "Kadiwa Financial Grant Assistance" program which aims to capacitate the FCAs and the LGUs to become reliable and efficient food commodity suppliers. The recipients are the local government of Casiguran in Aurora which got PHP5 million; Pantabangan LGU in Nueva Ecija, PHP2.5 million; Kapampangan Development Foundation Inc. and Pansinao Parents Agricultural Association, PHP1 million each; and the Samahang Ugnayan ng mga Kababaihang Mag-iisda ng Paltic in Dingalan, Aurora, PHP500,000. In an interview on Wednesday, DA-3 Regional Executive Director Crispulo Bautista Jr. said their agency provides financial assistance to eligible organizations and LGUs to enhance their capacities in value-adding activities in the food supply chains. "Ang Enhanced Kadiwa financial grant assistance program ay layuning pahusayin ang mga kapasidad ng mga organisasyon ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda upang maging mas maaasahang mga supplier ng mga kalakal ng pagkain sa mga mamimili at para sa mga organisasyong nakabatay sa komunidad na patuloy na magpatakbo ng mga retail na tindahan ng Kadiwa (The Enhanced Kadiwa financial grant assistance program aims to enhance the capacities of the organizations of farmers and fishermen to become more reliable suppliers of food commodities to consumers and for those organizations based in the communities so that they can continuously operate the retail stores of Kadiwa)," Bautista said. The financial grant program complements the DA's "Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita" program, a direct marketing scheme where farmers and fisherfolk are directly linked with the consuming public to make food commodities available to consumers at reasonable prices. (PNA) }