BACOLOD City – The Department of Agrarian Reform-Western Visayas (DAR-6) has tapped the services of two agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in Negros Occidental in supplying food requirements to target children-beneficiaries under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program.
These include the Minuro Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Victorias City, and the Negros Island Federation of Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in Valladolid town.
The DAR-Negros Occidental 2 reported on Monday the DAR-6 has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Nutrition Council-Western Visayas (NNC-6) to enable these ARBOs to supply the NNC’s Tutok Kainan: Dietary Supplementation Program with agricultural products produced by the farmer-beneficiaries.
“The DAR-NNC joint project is being implemented under the government’s EPAHP program to meet the regular food requirements of the nutritional needs of children aged 6 to 23 months in Western Visayas, especially in Negros Occidental,” DAR-6 director Sheila Enciso said in a statement.
Enciso signed the MOU together with NNC-6 Regional Nutrition Program coordinator Reginaldo Guillen in rites held at the DAR-Negros Occidental 2 conference room here on March 19.
The activity was witnessed by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program officers II Teresita Mabunay and Arnulfo Figueroa of the DAR-Negros Occidental 1 (North) and 2 (South), respectively.
Guillen said the NNC aims to help the ARBOs in their economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic through strategic partnership by being a direct buyer of their farm products and services.
The Tutok Kainan Program targets 6 to 23 months old children to prevent their stunting in the first two years of life, or the period referred to as the First 1,000 Days.
Both the Minuro Agrarian Reform Cooperative and the Negros Island Federation of Agrarian Reform Cooperatives will supply the food requirements or deliver fresh commodities and other food items to identified drop-off points in various local government units in Negros Occidental.
The EPAHP, which is the banner program of the Task Force on Zero Hunger, seeks to mitigate hunger, ensure food nutrition security, reduce poverty in urban and rural communities, including marginalized communities and establish sustainable agriculture by 2030. (PNA)
