(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the creation of a task force that aims to end hunger in the country by 2030.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the President signed the executive order creating the Zero Hunger Inter-Agency Task Force during Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
The task force, which will have as chair the Cabinet Secretary, and the Department of Social Development and Welfare and Department of Agriculture as vice chairs, will have as members the Executive Secretary and the heads of national agencies, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor, Office of Civil Defense Administrator, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Urban Poor Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson, Food and Drug Administration Director General, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Executive Director, National Nutrition Council Executive Director, National Anti-Poverty Commission Lead Convenor, and Food and Nutrition Research Institute Director.
He said the task force aims to reduce current hunger levels by 25 percent two and a half years after the EO.
It will do this by formulating a national food policy consistent with the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan; rationalizing existing domestic laws, decrees, policies and issuances pertinent to the alleviation of hunger and poverty, consistent with international laws and treaty obligations; identifying and ensuring institutional responsibilities of concerned government agencies and adopting a whole of government approach.
It said the task force will also create technical working groups in consultation with non-governmental organizations to address particular concerns relative to the implementation of the EO; and adopt implementing rules and regulations to effectively carry out the objectives of the EO.
“The next step is to cut hunger incidence by half in five years after the issuance of the EO, and reduce hunger by 75 percent within seven-and-a-half years,” Nograles said.
“The President and the members of the Cabinet recognize that we have to adopt additional measures to combat hunger given how data shows that it is problem that cannot be ignored,” he added.