Bohol, Cebu ARBOs receive needed aid

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has awarded P4.46 million in supply contracts to two local farmers’ cooperatives in a move that will provide stable income for farmers while boosting nutrition for thousands of children in Central Visayas.

The Bohol Bayanihan Multipurpose Cooperative and the Carcar Communities and Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative formalized their partnership with the DSWD under the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) and the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP).

The Bohol cooperative received purchase orders worth P1.35 million, while the Carcar cooperative secured a contract for P3.1 million. Both groups will now supply fresh, locally sourced produce for the SFP’s 15th cycle.

“This is more than just a contract signing,” said Hazel Hope B. Sacedon, the EPAHP focal point person for the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Region VII.

“It is a commitment to nourish our children while empowering our farmers. By connecting local producers directly to government feeding programs, we create a win-win situation where communities thrive and hunger is addressed at its roots,” she added.

DSWD officials said the partnership provides a dual benefit of better nutrition for children and stronger income streams for food producers.

The DAR, under Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, said it will continue to develop programs that connect farmers to stable markets and integrate them into national development efforts.