San Juan, Ilocos Norte sign deal on affordable food program

The local governments of San Juan City and Ilocos Norte have forged a new partnership on Tuesday, Jan. 31, this time for the launch of Producers 2 Consumers (P2C) Program which aims at bringing affordable yet high quality produce from Ilocos Norte to the city, according to a report by Manila Bulletin.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc spearheaded the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing at the city hall together with other government officials of San Juan and Ilocos Norte.

According to Zamora, the P2C Program is a livelihood program of the local government of Ilocos Norte that aims to support accredited MSME entrepreneurs and farmers in the province by giving them a bigger platform to sell their products to different areas in the Philippines.

Fresh produce from farmers of Ilocos Norte will be brought twice a month to San Juan City Hall. San Juan will then provide the venue for the sellers from Ilocos Norte and promote the program to its residents.

In turn, San Juaneños will have the opportunity to buy fresh produce directly from the source, eliminating the middlemen, hence, buying them at affordable prices.

“We thank the Province of Ilocos Norte for choosing San Juan City to be its partner in the P2C Program. With inflation being felt all over the country, the affordable and fresh produce offered by this program is a big help to our constituents here in the city,” Zamora said.

“We have seen the success of Kadiwa ng Pasko and Kadiwa on Wheels, so we want to replicate that through the P2C Program and give our constituents more opportunities to buy basic commodities at more affordable prices than their SRP in groceries,” he added.

Aside from the P2C program, the two mayors also forged their sisterhood agreement as they continue to strengthen their relationship not just in governance but also in history.

Manotoc earlier visited the city in November and discussed the said agreement and their families’ rich history. Manotoc is the son of Senator Imee Marcos, Zamora’s godmother in his wedding and baptism.

The Marcoses’ ancestral home is also located in Barangay Maytunas, making the city very close to their hearts. The house will be also be a part of San Juan’s historical trail together with the El Deposito museum and other historical landmarks.

The province also took part in the city’s Christmas caravan last year as they sold their local produce and delicacies such as empanadas, bagnet, longganisa, garlic, and other fruits vegetables.