PAHP launched in Dipolog

By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) together with Food and Agriculture Administration (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) have launched recently the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) at the Top Plaza Hotel this city.

Attending the PAHP launching, which was organized by DAR-Zamboanga del Norte were Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Mohammad Dassan Adju Dipolog Mayor Evelyn T. UY, ARCP II National Project Coordinator Director Herman Z. Ongkiko, National PAHP Coordinator Lawrence Cruz, DSWD- Protective Services Bureau Director Margarita V. Sampang, Ms Natassaia Quijano of DSWD–OSEC, DSWD Nutritionist Richel de la Cruz, DSWD-9 Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo, DAR-9 Assistant Regional Director Agnes Maata, and other personnel from the line agencies, provincial government as well city government personnel.

Ongkiko said Dipolog City was chosen as the pilot city of PAHP in recognition of its support to the various programs implemented by the national government in the city, citing among others the P58-million rehabilitation project of Dipolog Communal Irrigation System, now supplying water to 750 hectares of ricefields in Dipolog City and Polanco.

The program is a colaborrative effort of DAR, DSWD and DA with technical assistance from FAO and WFP, and with the active cooperation and participation of the local government units (LGUs) to address hunger and poverty in the country.

Mayor Uy was grateful to the program implementers for choosing Dipolog City as its pilot area and assured all the stakeholders of a successful implementation of said program in the city. Representatives from the different line agencies present also expressed their commitment of support to the program.

FAO Consultant Flavio Luis Mazzaro de Freitas cited the value of the Food Acquisition Program in the successful implementation of “Zero Hunger Strategy,” which was adopted by Brazil to address its hunger and poverty problem.

Ongkiko said the program was initially tested in region 5, after a team from DAR, DSWD and DA went to Brazil in June 2013 to study the implementation of the program.

Under the program, the farmers with support from DA through updated farm technology and other farm inputs will be provide rice and vegetables needed for the supplemental feeding program of DSWD, specifically to the beneficiairies of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).