SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) said they opened more mobile produce stores at Petron gas stations around Metro Manila.

The new stores are at the Petron Bel-Air on Gil Puyat corner Makati Avenue; EDSA Sierra Madre; Dasmariñas Village, EDSA; Katipunan Ave. (La Vista), Quezon City; Shaw Blvd. corner Wack Wack; C5-Diego Silang, Taguig; EDSA corner Main Ave. Cubao; 188 E. Rodriguez, Jr. Quezon City; Marcos Highway, Pasig; Connecticut, San Juan; Ninoy Aquino Ave., Sucat, Parañaque; Doña Soledad Ave. Better Living, Parañaque; and Dr. A Santos Ave., Sucat Rd., Parañaque.

In a statement Sunday, SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said the company’s partnership with the DA has benefited farmers whose income and livelihood suffered during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Farmers are the backbone of our food supply chain and are essential to our food security, that is why from the very start, we tried to think of programs to help them even more,” Mr. Ang said.

“Although we are glad to see more traditional markets opening up and catering to more people, there is still a need for the Kadiwa stores, especially for those who live nearby looking for a convenient way to buy fresh fruits and vegetables,” Mr. Ang said.

The Kadiwa stores are part of the so-called Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita, a DA program.

Meanwhile, SMC added that it rolled out an online ordering platform, www.order.sanmiguelfoods.com, with orders fulfilled and claimed at Petron Treats outlets.

Recently, SMC purchased 69 million kilograms of corn from farmers under its long-term agreement with the DA. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR