Partnership against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) is a convergence program intended to create essential social infrastructure aimed at improving access to basic services and facilitating investment into the rural economy.

The implementation of the PAHP programs has been pilot-tested in Bicol where DSWD’s supplementary feeding program (SFP) for Day Care Centers are linked to DAR’s support services program for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (ARBOs), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Local Government Units (LGUs). These organizations/agencies would create greater synergy in engaging the poor households by working closely with rural communities to improve their social capital while addressing hunger and alleviating poverty in the community.

In line with the program implementation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was forged between the DSWD, DAR, and DA last June, 2016. The implementation is being piloted in Regions VIII, IX and V. For Bicol it is implemented in Camarines Sur particularly in the towns of Pili, Canaman, Ocampo, Bomboa and Calabanga; for Sorsogon it is in Castilla, Sorsogon and soon to be implemented in Camarines Norte.

Report revealed that a total of 3M was released by DSWD under the Sustainable Livelihood Program to fund various projects under the PAHP. The projects are focused mostly on high value vegetable production, organic farming and training on community- based small scale sea weed value added products like pansit, sea weeds, pickles, chips, puto and lumpia with the sea weeds as the major ingredient. Dried anchovies production is also one of the project.

Community based service providers (CBSPs) and Farm Service Providers (FSPs) collectively called the CBOs new provide the needed food items required in Day Care Centers and Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) areas under the Supplementary Feeding Program and other government food related programs.

It is envisioned that the Partnership against Hunger and Poverty will expand nationwide where the ARBOs, Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations, cooperatives and other qualified farmers organizations will provide essential food items required for the feeding of the children in the Day Care Centers and SNP areas while improving their farm productions. ###eejerusalem