DAR inks agreement on EPAHP to reduce hunger and poverty in Cagayan Valley

The Department of Agrarian Reform Regional Office 02 (DAR R02) Regional Director Primo C. Lara together with partner agencies, attended and inked the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on April 29, 2024 at Pulsar Hotel Premier Suites, Buntun, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The DSWD is the lead agency in the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP). It is a program that aims to reduce hunger and poverty by ensuring food security through linking Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) like the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) to institutional buyers as sure markets of their products.

As Memorandum Circular No. 47 was already signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on April 19, 2024, the convergence among partner agencies and Local Government Units (LGUs) will be more strengthened, since the memorandum circular directs all government agencies and instrumentalities, and encourages all LGUs to support the continuous and effective implementation of the EPAHP in the country.

“We will not end up with just the MOA signing alone, but we will continue to deliver our mandates and create impact in the lives of our respective beneficiaries,” RD Lara said.

RD Lara also stated that from 2020 to 2023, DAR R02 was already able to link 15 ARBOs to 14 institutional buyers, and that the region continues to provide support services to its ARBOs to ensure their sustainable production of food requirements to their respective institutional partners. He also enumerated the recent milestone of activities that the region achieved in providing quality service to the ARBs, their organizations and communities like distribution of titles, farm machineries and equipment (FME), and rural infrastructure projects.

The activity was attended by different partner agencies including DILG, LBP, DOH, NIA, PCIC, TESDA, DA, NAPC, DepEd, NNC, etc.