DA ATI RTC X represented by Center Director Maria Lydia A Echavez, Training Center Superintendent II together with the Regional Focal Person Teodosia D. Jaraba, Training Specialist III joined with other agencies in the Ceremonial Signing of the Regional Memorandum of Understanding of the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP). The Regional MOU will cement the commitments and obligations of the EPAHP Partner Agencies in the Regional level, that will enable them to synergize, plan and create strategies, and translate them into concrete actions in the effective implementation of the program.

The primary goals of the EPAHP program is to mitigate hunger, ensure food security and nutrition, and reduce the incidence of poverty in rural and urban communities, most especially in the marginalized and geograhically isolated and disadvantaged areas. The signing of the MOA will forge lasting partnership and cooperation among the 24 partner agencies in strengthening their commitment to contribute in addressing hunger and poverty.

The guest speaker of the event was no other than the Chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger Karlo Alexei Nograles, who emphasized farmer empowerment as one of the means to fight hunger and poverty. “We need to empower our own farmers and fisherfolk, and EPHAP program does just, that by prioritizing the agri product of our community-based organizations, and by creating direct linkage between them and the different feeding programs of the government and other institutional markets”
In her message, DSWD 10 Regional Director Mari Flor Dullaga-Libang expressed her thanks to the agencies who heed the call for partnership. “The EPAHP Program is very timely, relevant and a good avenue wherein we could actually bring our government closer to the grassroots level through the synergy and convergence of all our essential programs and services.”

Among the 24 agencies present in the MOU signing were the DA-Regional Field Office, National Dairy Authority, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, , Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Population Commission. The event took place at Challi Beach Resort, Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City. With reports from MS. TEODOSIA JARABA