Region 10 will benefit from the implementation of the Duterte administration’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) initiative with the launching of the program in Cagayan de Oro City.
“We just recently conducted a virtual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Marketing Agreement (MA) Signing for EPAHP in Eastern Visayas and we now focus our energies on Northern Mindanao for its own MOU and MA launching. This shows that the government, with DAR and BJMP as main implementors, is fully committed to addressing hunger, poverty and food security in Visayas and Mindanao.”
“The administration is determined to solve the twin concerns of hunger and food security by directly assisting farmers.”
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, chairman of the government’s Task Force Zero Hunger, made the remark on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, during the 7th Virtual MOU and Marketing Agreement rites for Region 10.
The ceremony was attended “online” by DAR Secretary Atty. John Castriciones, Undersecretary for Support Services Atty. Emily Padilla, Undersecretary Virginia Orogo, Assistant Secretary Milagros Isabel Cristobal, Director Maria Celerina Afable, Regional Director Atty. Merlita Capinpuyan, Regional Chief Administrative Officer Joel Paler, BJMP National Head Quarters Jail Senior Superintendent Flory Sanchez, Regional Director Jail Chief Superintendent Ester Pepito, Assistant Regional Director for Administration and Operations Jail Superintendent Fermin Rodorendo Enriquez, Ms. Susan Gambalan, Ms. Zane Cortez, Ms. Junairah Guro, Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and other partner agencies.
“We need to boost our efforts to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of nutritious food, which is one of the key aspects of the EPAHP. The program aims to increase yield and farmers’ incomes, address hunger and eradicate poverty in both urban areas and the countryside,” the Cabinet Secretary explained.
The EPAHP is tied to the Sustainable Development Goals of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and similar directives of President Rodrigo Duterte, the primary objective of which is to reduce poverty incidence to 14% before the President’s term ends.
In the July 24, 2020, EPAHP Steering Committee Meeting, Nograles said they agreed to conduct regular regional meetings to enable the central office/steering committee to guide implementing agencies and foster better coordination between stakeholders.
“With the help of DTI and other EPAHP partners, we are preparing the proposals to conduct more online interaction, with the aim of giving small farmers organizations better access to more private partners and government agencies to enable them to market their agricultural products,” stressed the Cab Sec.
“From an initial three agencies, we have grown to eleven partner agencies and added even more partners, including the DILG, BJMP, DepEd, DOH, NNC, DOST, DTI, NAPC, NIA, TESDA, PopCom, LANDBANK, DBP at DICT,” Nograles explained, adding that its key components are credit and market access to community-based farmers organizations.
Last month, the EPAHP Steering Committee approved the inclusion of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), National Dairy Authority (NDA), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) as additional program partners, the Malacañang official said.
“We prioritize the concerns of our agricultural workers during this time of the pandemic.”
The Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) that signed the agreement come from Misamis Occidental and Bukidnon and include the following: Mamanga Daku ARC Coop (MADARCC) with 165 members, Buenacama ARC Coop (BUCARCO) with 31 members and Block 2, Farmers MPC with 66 members.
The Region 10 MOU signing is the 12th such activity under EPAHP. Similar programs had been initiated previously in the CAR, Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, VIII, IX, XI, and CARAGA. The next target launch areas include five more regions and BARMM.
“The administration is determined to solve the twin concerns of hunger and food security by directly assisting farmers through easy market access to their products and encouraging higher yields. Agri produce under EPAHP will be provided to numerous jail facilities and public hospitals, thus there is both a steady market and income stream for our farmers. We prioritize the concerns of our agricultural workers during this time of the pandemic,” Nograles emphasized.