KALIBO, Aklan – The provincial government of Aklan forged a partnership with key government agencies for holistic approaches to mitigate hunger, ensure food security and health, and reduce poverty in rural and urban communities.
Gov. Florencio Miraflores signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of Enhanced Partnership Against Poverty and Hunger (EPAPH) on Dec. 14 in Banga, Aklan.
EPAHP is an expanded priority poverty reduction program of President Rodrigo Duterte to reduce hunger, promote sustainable agriculture and improve nutrition in the country by 2030.
Present during the signing of the MOU in Aklan were Engineer Rory Avance, acting regional manager of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Engineer Lorena Sioco, division manager of NIA Aklan-Capiz Irrigation Management Office, and the provincial managers of the departments of agrarian reform, trade and industry, agriculture, science and technology.
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Land Bank of the Philippines, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center also entered into the MOU for the multi-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration.
Miraflores stressed the alliance would engage the coordinated response of the rural communities and member-agencies to sustain efforts in addressing food security and production.
The partnership is also essential for the poverty alleviation of farmer-members of Aklan League of Federation of Irrigators Association (ALFIA) as a community based organization.
To achieve EPAPH goals, member-agencies will support supplementary feeding programs, regular meals for residential care facilities and the feeding programs for persons deprived of liberty.
Other partner agencies will also ensure credit assistance to support food production, marketing and processing; enhance farm production technologies and extension services to family farms and rural-based organizations, and construction, repair and improvement of irrigation facilities and structures.
In particular, the provincial government through the Grain Center of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is obliged to procure the rice production of irrigators association (IAs) and farmers in Aklan starting 2021 through Palengke Online, Palengke on Wheels and Kadiwa Market.
The province will also help the IAs link with the Provincial Health Office and BJMP for the feeding programs.
NIA-Aklan will also assist the IAs in its rice production for the institutional feeding programs as well as to provide corollary support services in the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities for improved farm productivity.
For its part, DOST will also provide data on the nutrition and health situation of mothers and children through the Expanded National Nutrition Survey, and technical assistance on food technology transfer and production at the provincial level.
DA will provide capacity building and organizational strengthening assistance, agricultural farm inputs and services to farmer organizations./PN
