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Friday, March 29, 2024

Manicad lauds Malacañang

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Independent senatorial candidate Jiggy Manicad lauded President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to create an inter-agency task force that would drastically reduce hunger in the country by 2030, eight years after he steps down from the presidency.

Manicad said the measure jived with his advocacy to ensure food security, particularly for underprivileged Filipinos.

“Hunger is the root cause of a lot of problems in our society. Why do people resort to theft, prostitution, and even drugs? Many times, it’s because of the desperation of not being able to put food on the table,” Manicad said in a press statement.

The neophyte candidate is at present campaigning to bring forward sweeping reforms and more investments in agriculture to ensure food security and sustainable livelihoods for farmers, fisherfolk, and agricultural workers.

The task force, he said, would be “instrumental” for this objective.

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Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced on Tuesday that President Duterte approved the creation of the Zero Hunger Inter-Agency Task Force.

According to Nograles, the move was in response to data showing that 2.4-million families suffered from moderate to extreme hunger in 2018. Around 13.7-million Filipino children are undernourished while about 20 percent of kids aged five and below are underweight.

Nograles said that the first target would be to reduce current hunger levels by 25 percent in 2.5 years after the issuance of the Executive Order; 50 percent in five years; and 75 percent in 7.5 years.

The IATF will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and heads from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Agriculture.

For his part, Manicad maintained that the success of the task force would have a “domino effect” on everyday problems of Filipinos.

“We will prevent crime. We will help our children have more energy and focus when they go to school,” he said.

He added, “The move is also very timely because the effects of climate change are already upon us. Food security and hunger should be on top of the nation’s agenda.”

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