KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Farmer groups and community-based organizations (CBOs) across Soccsksargen are stepping up as key providers of food aid to vulnerable sectors in the region amid the crisis caused by the Middle East conflict.
This gained momentum as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 12 office, through the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (Epahp), engaged farmer organizations, cooperatives, sustainable livelihood program associations, and other CBOs to provide food supplies for the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), also known as the Food Stamp Program.
“This strategy not only ensures quality and fresh food products for our program beneficiaries but also provides a market for our community-based organizations,” DSWD Region 12 Director Loreto Jr. Cabaya said.
“They are also able to help other farmers from whom they source out agricultural commodities to augment their own organizations’ produce,” he added.
Marichu Lim, the regional Epaph coordinator, said two accredited CBOs have already conducted redemption activities for families assisted by the food stamp program. These are the Barangay Rubber Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (Brufa) in Polomolok and the Lamluma Diversified Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (Ladifa) in Surallah. Both localities are located in South Cotabato.
As of April 21, Lim said that seven additional CBOs from Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Cotabato province, and Sarangani have been approved to serve as vendors.
Earlier this month, Brufa, a CBO with 48 members, organized an event to distribute food packs to 745 families benefiting across the Polomolok’s 23 villages.
Coop manager Dolores Redosendo said that most of the “pinakbet” vegetables distributed to the recipients were sourced from other farmer associations supported by the nongovernment organization Mahintana Foundation Inc.
“We were able to help, most of all, the farmers, not only the recipients of the Walang Gutom Program. Even in a small way, we can address one of the farmers’ problems — the market for our products,” he said.
Ladifa also distributed its third round of food packages to nearly 1,000 food stamp recipients in the municipalities of Surallah, Lake Sebu, and Banga in South Cotabato, as well as in Senator Ninoy Aquino in Sultan Kudarat province, coop manager Joe-an Sevillo said.