As part of its advocacy for alleviating poverty and hunger, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 02 (DSWD FO2) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program with various partner agencies on April 29, 2024, in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The MOU highlights the importance of convergence and collaboration to increase farm and fishery productivity and income, ensure food and nutrition security, and mitigate hunger and malnutrition. It also focuses on implementing EPAHP in both urban and rural communities.

Present at the event were Regional Directors and representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reforms, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Philippine Information Agency, the National Nutrition Council, and the Landbank of the Philippines.

Director Alexis Lapiz from the National Anti-Poverty Commission also attended the signing and, in his speech, emphasized its significance in the national effort against poverty and hunger.

DSWD FO2 Regional Director Lucia Suyu-Alan expressed gratitude to the attendees, stating, “Thank you for the added strength that each of you contributes to our common goals. As we assist our farmers and fisherfolk under the care of each agency, we must understand that strategies involving correlation and cooperation yield a more powerful impact.”

EPAHP serves as one of the key strategies of the government in addressing critical concerns regarding hunger mitigation, food and nutrition insecurity, and poverty. Through the program, partners can seek assistance and support from one another to ensure hunger and poverty alleviation.