DAR Caraga forges partnership with National Nutrition Council anew

In a simple Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Caraga and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Caraga, both partners have once again renewed their commitments to providing for their respective beneficiaries in the fight against hunger and poverty.

Conducted on September 2, 2024, at the DAR Regional Office, this partnership and MOA signing falls under the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) program.

PAHP, a multi-agency initiative of the government to address food security and mitigate hunger in the home, is also a component of the overarching support services flagship program of DAR called the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program (ARBDSP).

With this, agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) actively contribute to fulfilling PAHP’s objectives by taking advantage of the opportunities to do business with institutional markets—i.e., private businesses, hospitals, and feeding programs of government agencies, in this case, the NNC—thereby also providing a steady stream of income to the organization.

This MOA covers the ARBOs in their respective provinces: the San Isidro Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SIMPUCO) of Surigao del Norte and the Maticdum Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAFAMCO) of Surigao del Sur. SIMPUCO and MAFAMCO will supply the food materials needed for the feeding program of the NNC in those areas.

On behalf of the NNC, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, Dr. Niño Archie S. Labordo, explained that the supplies contracted with SIMPUCO and MAFAMCO under this MOA will go toward their Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program (TKDSP).

Dr. Labordo further clarified that the program’s core objective is to improve the nutritional status of its beneficiaries by increasing both the quality and quantity of their food and nutrient intake. It places a special focus on pregnant women and young children (6-23 months old) who are at risk of malnutrition or are already undernourished.

As such, DAR Caraga Regional Director, Atty. Merlita S. Capinpuyan, who spoke highly of this partnership, is eager for its objectives to be met. Anchored on the pressing issues of nutrition within the country and the need to provide support services to the ARBOs, she expressed, “Thank you to the NNC for partnering with us and our farmer beneficiaries. I am confident that this partnership will not only provide for the women and children of the TKDSP but also for our farmers who will rake in a higher profit for their sales by foregoing a middleman and directly doing business with you.”

In turn, Dr. Labordo exclaimed that he is also hopeful with this renewed MOA with DAR, a second time around. He continued that though there were some extenuating circumstances that led to a small delay, he is grateful and excited to finally implement this endeavor.

In conclusion, this renewed MOA between DAR and NNC Caraga marks a promising step forward in addressing malnutrition and empowering ARBOs. By fostering collaboration and direct market access, this initiative strives to uplift both the nutritional well-being of vulnerable communities and the economic prospects of agrarian reform beneficiaries. Both organizations express optimism for the successful implementation of this endeavor, emphasizing the positive impact it will have on the lives of women, children, and farmers alike.