Thousands go foodless as hunger stalks Negros

Hunger is sweeping through Oriental Negros as thousands of families in that province have been reported to have no food to eat on their tables.

At least 3,000 families, most of them dependent on sugar cane plantations, have reportedly gone hungry in Oriental Negros, which has the highest incidence of hunger in the region.

Oriental Negros is one of the provinces in the country identified under cluster "Very, Very Vulnerable (VVV)" in the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System. Cebu and Siquijor were ranked "Not Vulnerable (NV)," while Bohol is under "Vulnerable (V)."

According to Philippine Coconut Authority regional manager Deodiro Ravelo, he and some officials from Department of Agriculture and other offices were recently called to Manila to discuss the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Plan.

He said National Anti-Poverty Commission chief Domingo Panganiban and Socioeconomic Planning chief Romulo Neri are coming up with a plan that would strengthen government's programs designed to meet the United Nations Millenium Development Goals (MDG)

The plan is specifically aimed at reducing the country's poverty incidence by one-half by 2015.

Ravelo cited for example Siquijor, where no one has gone hungry since every family on the island province has a means of livelihood such as backyard gardening and animal-raising.

He said during their first meeting, they were instructed to pinpoint specific strategies under their poverty alleviation program, depending on the needs of each province.

The government has been determined to boost further its programs to increase food production through the implementation of various projects. - Ferliza C. Contratista