Hunger mitigation project underway

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo’s banner project, the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program, focuses on reducing and eventually eradicating hunger in the country. The program is implemented by the Anti-Hunger Task Force (AHTF) composed of about 30 government and non-government organizations led by health chief Francisco Duque.

In trying times like these – brought about by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, Duque said the President has mobilized all related offices to enhance employment generation and providing employment opportunities especially for the poor and the displaced, this is the Department of Labor and Employment’s turf. Funded under the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program Dole implemented project Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) and Integrated Services for Livelihood Assistance (Isla).

Among the priority beneficiaries of TUPAD and ISLA are the displaced workers, unemployed and out-of-school-youth, including their families. For Luzon alone, DOLE was able to undertake a total of 107 projects and provided employment to 9,034 individuals. The projects include contruction of bridges, water systems and tire paths, improvement of roads, spot gravelling and installation of RC pipes. DOLE also conducts job fairs and service caravans for the benefit of job seekers and new graduates searching for jobs. The service caravans complement and reinforce the positive impact of job fairs by bringing closer to jobseekers in the countryside available opportunities and relevant services, in effect lessening their inconveniences in their quest to land on productive jobs.

Duque hinted that with more Filipinos employed, less will experience hunger. This will also mean more economically productive Filipino workforce. – Rudy Santos