This according to Cabinet
Secretary Karlo Nograles, Chair of the Task Force Zero Hunger, when he pointed
to the EPAHP as a key modality where Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations
(ARBOs), Irrigators Associations (IAs) and Farmers Associations can play key
roles in the government's supplementary feeding and school feeding initiatives.
The MalacaΓ±ang official spoke
during the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Marketing Agreements Signing
yesterday, July 21, 2020, attended virtually by the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones, Undersecretary Emily Padilla and its
officials and staff from the Central Office as well as Region 9, Deputy
Director for Welfare and Development of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
(BJMP) Jail Senior Superintendent Felly A. Cebuma and partners from the region,
representatives from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and
representatives from other agencies and ARBOs from Zamboanga del Norte,
Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur.
Nograles, who also serves as NIA
Chair, encouraged the IAs and ARBOs to heighten their involvement in these
government programs, emphasizing that "you can be crucial partners because
of the important role you play. Through EPAHP, you will have easy access to a
market because government will buy your produce. Market and network access is
vital during this Covid-19 pandemic. This will create jobs, and establish link-ups,
freeing you to focus on production."
In a brief message, Jail Senior
Supt. Felly Cebuma noted that "no virus can stop us in pushing through
with programs that uplift the lives of our people."
"We fully support the EPAHP
program because it provides nutrition and needed dietary requirements at
affordable prices and helps our farmers at the same time. Let's hope this
programs gets replicated in other areas of the country," added the BJMP
official.
For their part, the ARBOs and IAs
expressed gratitude at the other partner organizations from government for
easing the way to smoother business transactions and removing the "middle
man" who eats up profits and hinders the selling of farm produce.
"We will now have greater
access to consumers. We can directly sell our products to those who need
them," said Ronald Diaz, head of the Magsaysay Agrarian Reform
Beneficiaries Cooperative from Zamboanga del Sur.
CabSec Nograles, a former
representative of Davao, meanwhile, reiterated the need for more active
involvement from LGUs and local chief executives.
"The National Government
hopes that our local officials fully support and get involved in these
initiatives. If you have your own community feeding and nutrition programs,
let's align them with the EPAHP for a more comprehensive approach to combatting
hunger. Unity and cooperation are important in providing life-saving assistance
to those who most need it, especially during this ongoing health crisis.
Together, we all need to say goodbye gutom and finally achieve zero hunger."###
