LAOAG CITY — A “pasalubong” (souvenir) center dedicated to Ilocos Norte’s best-selling products will soon open at the Juliana market in Balintawak, Quezon City.
Fresh produce of farmers and entrepreneurs here will be delivered directly to consumers in Quezon City through a public and private partnership agreement between the Ilocos Norte government and Juliana market.
Edison Natividad, head of the provincial government’s Small and Medium Enterprise Office, said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the two parties is ready for signing.
Even without the MOA, though, tons of orders of fresh fruits and vegetables, processed food products and other goods from the province are being delivered to Quezon City while other businessmen come to Ilocos to purchase these products.
This a good development for local producers as they have a ready market for their products, Natividad said in an interview Friday.
Juliana Market, a wet and dry market in Balintawak, Quezon City, receives goods from the provinces in the north for distribution in the metro.
Mango farmer, Imelda Tumaneng of Barangay 2, Vintar town, said she is grateful for the provincial government’s “Producers to Consumers” program wherein local farmers and entrepreneurs are given the chance to earn more from their produce by providing them a direct link to customers outside the province.
“I have been harvesting and selling mangoes for a long time in the province but it is only now that I was able to save some extra profit,” Tumaneng said, citing that her sweet mangoes are among the bestsellers at the Juliana market.
Aside from mangoes, watermelon and other fruits and vegetables from the Ilocos region are in demand in the metro.
Tumaneng encouraged farmers here to join an association so they could negotiate with big businessmen and get a better price for their produce.
In this way, they could sell their crops faster and earn more, she said.
In 2017, the Ilocos Norte government, through Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa Marcos, began an exploratory market-matching with the local government of Quezon City, allowing farm producers and local entrepreneurs from the province to sell their products at the Quezon City Hall at least twice a month or every payday.
Due to consistent demand, a MOA was signed and was renewed for another year effective 2018.
Natividad said they are also planning to conduct market-matching in other areas, such as in Tuguegarao City to expand the market of Ilocano products. (PNA)
Photo by Leilanie Adriano