Castilla, Sorsogon – despite
the devastation of typhoon Glenda, two (2) significant events were successfully
held by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) particularly in Barangay Poblacion.
These are the launching of Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PHP); and
the turn-over of Water Sanitation (WATSAN) Facilities.
Partnership
Against Hunger and Poverty (PHP) is a partnership program of DAR, Department of
Agriculture (DA), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which
covers the municipality of Castilla, being the pilot area in the province of
Sorsogon.
“The
idea originated from Brazil. This is all about social feeding. The three
agencies became partners in this program because the DSWD has Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4 Ps which is a feeding program, while DAR has
many Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations or ARBOs that can supply them
vegetables for their feeding program, and the DA provides free vegetable
seedlings to our farmers. Thus, they are interconnected with each other in PHP
wherein the components of this project are provision to the feeding program for
Day Care Centers, Support to Agrarian Reform Community Agri-Enterprise
Development, Provision of Production Technology and Facilities and
Establishment of Community Food Hub,” said Felix E. Fruto, OIC- Provincial
Agrarian Reform Program Officer II.
Since
January 2014 the PHP Core Team headed by CARPO Liza B. Repotente at the DAR
Provincial Office and MARPO Rolando B. Brimon at the DAR Municipal Office
organized the series of orientation, consultation and participatory farm
assessments in 7 ARC and 27 Non-ARC barangays. It drew the participation of
1,875 stakeholders.
There
are 59 Day Care Centers in these barangays which are covered by the program,
while an initial of five (5) barangays involving 12 ARB cooperators started the
production of vegetables in an aggregate area of 1,100 square meters.
Complementing the PHP program, CPWASH (Community-based
Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene) is also implemented in Castilla
by the DAR Sorsogon. This is the provision of water and sanitation facilities
which includes iron removal filter, rain water collector and bio-gas digester.
The Chairperson Antonio L. Ortiz of Barangay Poblacion is so thankful that
their area became a recipient of this project. According to him, he lobbied
that these facilities be installed in his barangay since he has many
constituents who need free potable water.
Potable
water supply and available fuel generated from the bio-gas digester can also be
a support facility of the barangay for the feeding program under the PHP.
The
903rd Brigade of the Philippine Army also showed support in this project by
sharing their strength and resources in the construction of these facilities.
On the other hand, they gained knowledge which they can share in case others will need the same facilities. “PHP and WATSAN, can be both associated in ‘Bayanihan’. In PHP,
the 4 Ps’ recipients will be provided with nutritious food by the ARBOs in
return, they will get some earnings. In WATSAN, while the community provides
the labor for the construction of facilities, skilled workers can derive
additional income if they will be hired eventually. The program itself portrays
‘Bayanihan’,” said Major Lazaro D.
Quigao, Jr. (INF) PA Brigade EX-O.
The
activity includes site visit of Pili Day Care Center wherein DAR, DSWD, and
LGU-Castilla made interaction with the
day care children and day care workers; site visit of vegetable production area
where they interviewed the farmer-cooperators; site visit of WATSAN Facilities;
distribution of Certificates of Training and Commitment Signing for CPWASH; and
Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for PHP.
“CPWASH
and PHP covered many areas. In PHP, there is food, the farmers have livelihood.
In CPWASH, there is potable water. Those
who contributed effort in the construction of these facilities, if hired, can
also have other sources of income. These
two projects are perfect partners because while we need food, we also need
potable water. Projects like these are worthy of our support,” said Edgar N.
Ardales, a representative of Hon. Olivia
M. Bermilio, Mayor of Castilla.
DSWD Assistant Regional Director for
Operations, Corazon B. Miña informed the community that Php2,244,400.00 has
been transferred to LGU Castilla for the feeding program. Seeing how the ARBOs
produce, she assured the community of their continued support for this program
because DSWD is for sustainable livelihood program.
The initial program coverage
areas of PHP in the Philippines are 1 province which is Camarines Norte, 1
district which is the Third District of Camarines Sur, and 1 municipality which
is Castilla. Now that this program has been launched, CARPO-RPBDD Lerma Dino of
DAR Regional Office V said that the next project in this area will be the
establishment of Community Food Hub to store the excess produce of ARBOs.
