Marcos vows more Kadiwa stalls for labor sector

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said Kadiwa stalls would be provided for the labor sector to help them as well as the country's economy.

Marcos graced the launch of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa mga Manggagawa at the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Compound in Quezon City.

"Kaya’t nandito po ang Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Manggagawa ay sana po ay pararamihin po natin. We have identified many more areas na puwedeng paglagyan nitong Kadiwa Para sa Manggagawa," Marcos said in his speech.

(The Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Manggagawa is here and we will increase their number. We have identified many more areas where we will situate the Kadiwa Para sa Manggagawa.)

"‘Yung iba diyan ay dagdagan na lang natin para lalagyan natin na specific para talaga sa mga manggagawa natin. Kaya’t malaking bagay po ito para maipagpapantay natin ang trato ng ekonomiya sa ating mga – lahat ng ating mga kababayan," he added.

(We will increase their number. This is important to equate our economy with citizens.)

So far, Marcos said there are more or less 500 Kadiwa stalls across the country.

Marcos further acknowledged the significant role of the labor force in economic development and progress of the country.

“Kagaya nang nabanggit ng ating butihing congressman ay sinabi ko talaga noon pa kasi sa pag-aaral ko, ‘pag nag-industrialize ang isang bansa, kung minsan naiiwanan ang labor," Marcos said.

(Similar to what the congressman said, I've mentioned that if we industrialize the country, sometimes we tend to forget the labor sector.)

"Kaya’t sinasabi ko lagi huwag natin pabayaan mangyari ‘yun dahil napakalaki ng ating labor force, napakadami ng mahihirapan kung talagang hindi natin alagaan nang mabuti at bantayan nang mabuti ang kanilang kalagayan habang yumayaman ang Pilipinas ay maganda ang takbo na ngayon ng ekonomiya,” he added.

(Let's not allow that to happen because our labor sector is huge, a lot of people will suffer if we will not take care of the welfare of the labor sector.)

During the holiday season last year, the Marcos administration started a substantial number of Kadiwa stores and outlets all over the country as part of its measures to ensure food security and help consumers from rising prices.

Last year, the government's Kadiwa ng Pasko generated P418 million in sales. Its selling efforts served 1.22 million households and benefitted 450 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and agri-fishery enterprises nationwide. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News