The Department of Agriculture (DA) 8 (Eastern Visayas) here will promote local food products through the Kadiwa, a farm-to-consumer market chain, as part of the Filipino Food Month celebration.

The DA-8 on Tuesday kicked off the month-long celebration in the region through a one-day Kadiwa Agri-Fair at its office compound.

Joining the fair of local harvest and native delicacies were 15 farmers’ cooperatives and associations, entrepreneurs, and food processors from this city and nearby towns.

The DA-8 also lined up another Kadiwa fair at Robinsons North Tacloban in the third week of April to sell fresh produce and processed products from local farmers and entrepreneurs.

Kadiwa is a marketing initiative of the DA, implemented through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance, seeking to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.

This year’s Filipino Food Month is anchored on the theme “Pagkaing Sariling Atin, Mahalin at Pagyamanin.”

“The celebration aims not only to advocate appreciation for Filipino food but all the hardworking farmers and fishers who provide the ingredients for the country’s most delectable dishes,” DA-8 executive director Andrew Orais said in a statement.

Through Presidential Proclamation 469, signed in 2018, April of every year is declared as Filipino Food Month.

The month-long celebration is organized by the DA, the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, the Department of Tourism, and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. (PNA)