Legarda brings back Bayong-All-You-Can in Senate, hopes to help distressed farmers through rescue buys

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda once again brought back the Bayong-All-You-Can to the Senate and distributed 2.5 tons of rescue produce through Rural Rising Philippines, a non-profit organization founded by spouses Ace and Andie Estrada from Baguio City.

Among the crops distributed for this year’s BAYC are upo, yellow corn, eggplant, cucumber, sugar beets, white onions, papaya, carrots, radish, wombok, dippig, tumok, puso ng saging, white and red sweet potato, cauliflower, and cabbage, which all came from Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Aurora, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, and La Union provinces.

“Ang mga gulay at prutas na ating ipamamahagi ngayong umaga ay bunga ng dedikasyon ng mga magsasakang naglalayong makapaghatid ng pagkain sa hapag kainan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Legarda stated.

“Ang inisyatibong ito ay alinsunod sa mga inakdang batas ng inyong lingkod tulad ng Organic Agriculture Act, Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act, at Rural Farm Schools Act. Atin ding pinupursigeng maipasa ang mga nakabinbing panukalang batas sa kasalukuyang Kongreso, tulad ng Food Forest Gardening Act at Integrated Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming Act upang matugunan ang mga isyung kinakaharap natin sa food security,” she added.

According to RuRi, they were able to help more new farmers this year, such as those from Brgy. Gusaran in Kabayan, Benguet, and San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

“We are able to give them double the farm gate price, sometimes more. For this reason, they do not need to take their chances of harvesting and not being able to find buyers. Senator Legarda’s idea of using Bayong in this BAYC game has saved 2.5 tons of vegetables that would have otherwise gone to waste,” Andie Estrada said.

The BAYC is open to all Senate employees. They will be given one bayong each, made from pandan leaves by women weavers in Bay, Laguna, which they could fill with free fruits and vegetables.

On February 1, 2023, Legarda launched the BAYC in the Senate to celebrate her birthday. She decided to mark her birthday this year again in a meaningful and impactful way, to give Senate employees the freshest vegetables and help the distressed fathers through RuRi PH.

On January 6, 2023, Legarda bought one ton of cauliflowers through RuRi from the farmers of Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur. These were distributed to the Tatalon Nanay Power, a women’s organization in Brgy. Tatalon, Quezon City. She visited the RuRi House at UP Village after the ‘Paglalakbay Kontra Gutom’ event, where she was dubbed the first Senator-Founding Member of RuRi.

“The Rural Rising organization is ever grateful to Senator Loren. She said in her message when she visited RuRi House last year that she would support the farmers through Rural Rising, and she has indeed kept her word. We wish her the best of health on her birthday and extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation,” Andie Estrada stated.

“Sa umagang ito, bigyang pugay natin ang ating mga magsasaka. Aking mga kapwa lingkod-bayan, lagi nating tatandaan na ang serbisyong publiko ay nakaugat sa buong-pusong paglilingkod para mapaunlad ang iba’t ibang sektor ng ating lipunan,” said Legarda. (End)