The Department of Agrarian Reform has partnered with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Agriculture for the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) and Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Respective memorandums of agreement among the agencies were signed on July 28 at Holiday Inn, Baguio City.
Under the MOU and marketing agreements between the DAR and BJMP, 20 agrarian reform beneficiaries or DAR-assisted organizations will be supplying their agricultural produce to feed detainees at the district jails of Baguio City; La Trinidad and Buguias in Benguet; Alfonso Lista, Ifugao; Tabuk, Kalinga; Mountain Province; and detainees at the municipal jails of Itogon and Tuba, Benguet.
For the DAR-DSWD partnership, there are 57 agrarian reform beneficiaries.
In the DAR-DA partnership, DAR will be assisting in the legislation of farmers in the RSBSA.
The signing ceremony was attended virtually by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, DAR Sec. John Castriciones, Usec. Emily Padilla, Usec. Virginia Orogo, Asec. Milabel Cristobal, BJMP National Head Quarters Jail Senior Superintendent Felly Cebuma, and EPAHP National Program Management Office Head Restituto Macuto.
Present at Holiday Inn, Baguio City were DAR Regional Director Eugene P. Follante, DAR Assistant Regional Director Estrellita B. Briones, BJMP Regional Director Jail Senior Superintendent Roland Lee Ng Cael, DA Regional Director Cameron P. Odsey, and DSWD Regional Director Leo Quintilla.
The BJMP signed marketing agreements with agrarian reform beneficiary organizations in Benguet, namely Northern Buguias Multipurpose Cooperative represented by Manager Marion P. Kimao and Buguias Jail District represented by S/Insp. Fred Payap-a and in Ifugao through the United Family MPC represented by Board of Directors Chair Guillaurme Adawe and Alfonso Lista District Hail C/Insp. Jerome Bulayungan.
Other BJMPs with partner ARBOs had their MOA signing earlier while others will hold the signing later.
DAR Sec. John R. Castriciones said the pandemic has brought forth a lot of misery not only to the Philippines but to other countries now facing unemployment, hunger, poverty, and economic problems affecting all sectors in the society.
“We have to tap one another and be united so that we will be able to address the effects of the pandemic,” Castriciones said. – Rhino Pellis
April 20, 2024
