The agricultural products of a community devastated by typhoon Odette are now sold at the Kalinga ni Maria stall through a partnership between the Catholic church and local farmers of Sitio Macandring, Barangay Langogan.
Fr. Salvador Saturnino, Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa (AVPP) director of Social Communications and Mass Media, said Tuesday that products started to be sold at the stall last Sunday. The stall was located on the grounds of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, and the market schedule depends on the harvest of the farmers.
The idea of the partnership started after the community offered vegetable products as a way of their gratitude to the AVPP for the shelter kit assistance extended, informing that those were the first harvest after the typhoon. Bishop Socrates Mesiona, AVPP vicar, offered the partnership to the community with the Kalinga ni Maria.
“Kalinga ni Maria will directly buy their farm products at their place and sell it with almost no profit at all. Kalinga ni Maria has to shoulder the gasoline expenses, use of truck and for the driver,” he said.
Father Saturnino said the partnership of the church is currently with the Sitio Macandring but can still accommodate farmers from other affected areas. However, he admitted that they are not yet ready for a big market.
Langogan is one of the heavily affected barangays in the northern part of Puerto Princesa as it is located where the landfall of typhoon Odette happened in December 2021.
The sales of the agricultural products sold will go directly to the farmers. Bishop Mesiona considered the factor that the community is distant from the market opportunity, he added.
The partnership will run as long as the farmers want it. The local farmers will decide on the selling price, but Father Saturnino said that it is not necessarily the same as the prevailing market price as the Kalinga ni Maria is not after the profit.
“I believe people know their social responsibility. Others bought vegetables not because they really want the vegetables but they want to help the farmers. And that is what is good more than the profit,” he said.
