By Perla Lena | Philippine News Agency
Digital transactions are now available at the biggest local food terminal in San Miguel, Iloilo, which serves as a consolidation hub of agriculture products from upland areas in Panay.
In an interview Wednesday during the launch of the mobile application Bagsakan at the center, now known as the San Miguel Public Market and Farmers Bagsakan Complex (SMPM-FBC), San Miguel Mayor Marina Luz Gorriceta said they all hope to cater to more customers from other areas.
“We now have our website and (mobile) application so that we would know when they order or they have products for consolidation. We are also preparing to send to other regions in the country,” she said.
The app is initially available for institutional buyers like restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and catering services.
Its service will be extended to household consumers on Sept. 29, when wet and dry market vendors will handle online paid orders to be delivered by tricycle and e-bike drivers.
“What we are planning is that everybody will have jobs later on,” the mayor said.
The digital platform is hoped to address the challenge of marketing and selling the consolidated products from Bayanihan Tipon Center (BTC) network established in the towns of Alimodian, Tubungan, and Lambunao in Iloilo; Tobias Fornier, Patnongon, and Sebaste in Antique; Libacao and Madalag in Aklan; and Tapaz and Jamindan in Capiz.
“Delivery logistics will be fulfilled by the traditional jeepneys of our town to provide them with supplemental income and extended economic life of their trusted jeepneys,” the local government unit said in a statement.
Funded under the Panay Island Upland–Sustainable Rural Development Project (PIU-SRDP) and with a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in 2018, the agricultural hub’s operation was temporarily suspended during the pandemic but was reopened in September last year. Its operations were formally opened on Wednesday.
Three cooperatives focusing on rice and grains, fruits and vegetables, and livestock meat and poultry have been tasked with managing the hub.
Iloilo second district Rep. Michael Gorriceta, in an interview, said prices of goods purchased at the complex are cheaper because there are no middlemen involved in the transactions.
His office, he said, is working on improving road networks to make the transport of goods from remote areas down to the town proper and to the Bagsakan center accessible.
Through the San Miguel local government unit cooperative, 83 sacks of well-milled rice were sold at P20 per kilo as a promotional rate for three days, starting Wednesday, with a maximum of five kilos for each buyer.
