PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed on Monday his administration’s commitment to fight hunger and poverty in the country.
Speaking at the ceremonial signing in Malacañang of the joint circular on the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty, the President said it was the government’s goal for all Filipinos not to go to bed hungry.
Through the circular, “we can improve farm productivity, link farmers, fisherfolk, other food producers to larger markets, provide secure income — ensuring that our children, our mothers, our most vulnerable have access to nutritious food,” he said.
He said he had directed all government agencies and local government units to support the program’s implementation to strengthen efforts toward zero hunger, food and nutrition security, and sustainable agriculture.
The President also highlighted the partnership’s core approach, which includes providing credit, insurance and assistance, as well as connecting community-based organizations (CBOs) to government feeding programs and broader markets.
As of last May, “more than P200 million worth of sales and contracts between 122 CBOs and government feeding programs” have been generated through the strengthening of the said CBOs, he noted.
The signing of the circular establishes a coalition of 34 partners ranging from national agencies to international organizations, each one committed to making zero hunger a reality.
Guidelines will be crafted for the EPAHP Program adoption and implementation by national and local governments, as well as partners, to ensure the harmonization of programs and projects.
A 14-member EPAHP Steering Committee, chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary, will be formed to ensure essential leadership, coordination, and accountability for the continuous and effective implementation of the measures under the EPAHP.
The government will use a digital mapping system developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization that connects organizations and prospective markets, including the feeding programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The joint initiative to end hunger and poverty was initially launched in 2016 when the DSWD, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform collaborated to start the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty.
The program was expanded in 2019 to become the EPAHP.
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