Antique: Farmers in Antique found help in directly connecting with consumers through the Kadiwa Ng Pangulo (KNP), which opened in this capital town on Thursday, ushering the 128th Independence Day celebration in the province.

According to Philippines News Agency, the two-day event gathered 40 producers from the province, as stated by provincial government KNP coordinator Ge Anthony Recopuerto. The initiative provided consumers the opportunity to purchase agricultural products at lower prices.

Among the participants was the Kamapat Agricultural Cooperative, which offered a variety of produce including avocado, banana, eggplant, and rice, all cultivated by their 876 farmer-members. Joann Barrientos, the cooperative's finance officer, highlighted that the KNP has offered their farmer-members a platform to market their produce. Kamapat, acting as a product consolidator, was able to sell a 25-kilo well-milled rice for PHP1,250, which is lower than the regular market price of PHP1,300, due to the absence of a middleman in the transaction.

Additionally, the United Group of Weavers at Dapdap benefited from the event by generating income through the sale of mats, bags, wallets, and other items at the KNP. The Department of Agriculture facilitated a market matching for selected agri-products at the New Antique Capitol through its Western Visayas Regional Field Unit.

Lynnie Santillan from the Antique Federation of Cooperatives Enterprise Program noted that the market matching activity enabled direct engagement between local producers and potential suppliers for various agricultural products needed for food establishments, including coffee, muscovado, vegetables, and meat products.