AN OFFICIAL from the Davao Food Terminal Complex (DFTC) clarified that there are available public utility jeepneys (PUJ) going to the food terminal catering to farmers and commuters.
DFTC acting officer Josephine Martin said their request to extend the routes was approved to address the transport demands and accessibility concerns of farmers to the food terminal.
“We have requested the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board-Davao Region (LTFRB-Davao) and the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) to extend the routes for Toril papunta rito, and it was actually approved,” Martin said during the Ispeak Media Forum, May 9.
To recall, LTFRB has granted the request for modification of jeepney routes in Toril through Office Circular No. 07 Series of 2022, signed on October 2022.
Nonito A. Llanos III, LTFRB Davao regional director approved the expansion of the Toril-Roxas, Daliaon, and Daliao Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) routes to include the DFTC in M. Guardian St. Barangay Daliao, Toril.
However, despite this, Martin reported only a minimal number of Toril jeeps traversing the terminal. She added they will request next year to reinforce the drivers to take the routes.
“Para dili kaayo gasto para sa public and sa mga workers sa DFTC from the highway to the area,” she added.
While distance hinders farmers from accessing the food terminal, she reported there have been several business owners who expressed intent to avail of the cold storage services, however, they have yet to set the rates of the storage use.
The Department of Science and Technology turned over a new cold storage facility to DFTC on April 17, to address the post-harvest losses of farmers.
With the newly turned-over equipment, the DFTC in Barangay Daliao, Toril District now has 10 cold chain storage that farmers from the city and the region can access.
Dr. Anthony Sales, DOST XI regional director said through the facility, the agricultural products may be able to compete in the market here and in other regions.
The city government will craft a scheme to ensure affordable rates for the farmers to use the facility and bring down the cost of packaged products in the market.
Apart from the chamber, additional packaging equipment was also turned including a twist sealing machine, tray lidding machine, continuous band sealer, and encoding machine.
DFTC set a weeklong trade fair on May 13-17 with activities such as seminars on food safety and packaging of fruits and vegetables, a fruit and vegetable processing demonstration, and an agribusiness forum to equip local farmers.
