DSWD FO IV-A Prepares To Procure Food Commodities From Farmers
(Tagaytay City, Cavite) - DSWD Field Office IV-A organized a learning intervention for LGUs in CALABARZON on the Negotiated Procurement-Community Participation (NP-CP) as preparation for the linkage of farmers to the Supplementary Feeding Program. The workshop titled, ““Building Stronger Communities: EPAHP Awareness and CBO Demand Mapping Introducing NP-CP for LGUs” was held on 20-21 June 2024 at Tagaytay Haven in Cavite. The activity was participated by the representatives of Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO), and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the five provincial LGU,, and ten selected city/municipal LGUs in CALABARZON.
The activity aims to address the need of DSWD’s LGUs partners for appropriate and updated information on procurement of food commodities, particularly of agricultural products. Through the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) and the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), DSWD is enhancing its efforts to contribute to the food and nutrition security by ensuring that safe and nutritious food are served in its feeding programs sourced from local food producers. The agency encourages its partner LGUs to explore the utilization of NP-CP as this is the only mode of procurement under RA 9184 that emphasizes and supports the higher social objective of uplifting the agricultural sector through a more sustainable intervention. It also limits the competition to local suppliers ensuring that domestic resources are mobilized. Ms. Myrna A. Maglahus-Lamug, Regional Program Coordinator of EPAHP in CALABARZON. added that data from the Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) shows that farmers are highly vulnerable to food insecurity. She adds, ”The impact of high population growth rate and frequency of natural calamities increases the demand for food and puts a lot of stress on the region’s resources used for food production.”
Mr. Diego Salas, Budget Officer of Quezon Provincial Government and a GPPB-Recognized Trainor provided the crucial information on the Fundamentals of the RA 9184 or the Procurement Law, focusing on Negotiated Procurement-Community Participation. He stressed, “We must never lose sight of the greater social objective of addressing malnutrition as well as uplifting the socio-economic status of our farmers by providing them with more stable market opportunities.”
DSWD implements the Supplementary Feeding Program which aims to improve and maintain the nutritional status of children enrolled in child development centers or in supervised neighborhood play by providing augmentation support for feeding and intensifying nutrition and health education to identified beneficiaries. DSWD also serves as the Chair of the The Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), a convergence program under IATF Zero Hunger which ensures a whole-of-government approach in eradicating hunger and achieving food security by creating greater synergy and convergence of the essential services of various government agencies. - with report from MAMaglahus-Lamug