DSWD boosts efforts to cushion impact of Covid-19 on farmers, fisherfolk

To ease the socio-economic impact of Covid-19 and other emergencies, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continued to strengthen its initiatives to support the society’s most vulnerable and marginalized individuals, particularly farmers and fisherfolk.
Pursuant to the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), DSWD is mandated to develop a social protection system, which includes income support program for the fisherfolk whose livelihoods are negatively affected during periods of closed seasons for fishing as declared by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), as well as during calamities and lean or typhoon months.
DSWD on November 2021 inked a memorandum of agreement with BFAR for the development of a social protection program for fisherfolk and their families during periods of inclement weather, when small boats are prevented from going out to sea, affecting their income and livelihood.
Part of the agreement is to ensure that the fishing industry sector, particularly small-scale fishers, are accorded with social protection packages from DSWD. These include the provision of livelihood, financial, and medical help, among others.
DSWD implements these initiatives under the existing guidelines of its programs.
It has also committed to promote the goods and services of fisherfolk by forging linkages and partnerships with the local government units and private entities and organizations.
Meanwhile, DSWD urged its field offices and other program implementers to engage local farmers in the procurement of raw materials for its feeding programs this year.
As stipulated in DSWD Administrative Order No. 4, Series of 2016 or the Amended Omnibus Guidelines in the Implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), the field offices will prioritize the involvement of local farmer’s organizations, which are composed of poor and smallholder farmers, in the procurement of rice, viands, and non-rice based snacks, through Community Participation as a Negotiated Procurement Modality.
To support the ongoing initiatives, the DSWD’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty-National Program Management Office works closely with the Government Procurement Policy Board to set and facilitate an orientation and training this semester.
This aims to further expand the engagement of DSWD and local farmers in implementing SFP and enable poor farmers and fisherfolk to meet the demands of the agency’s feeding program.