Cooperative Development Authority, March 7, 2023 at 8:30 A.M via Zoom Meeting  Platform was the webinar on Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty  (EPAHP) & Sustainable Livelihood Program with the Department of Social Welfare and  Development (DSWD) to the micro, small and medium cooperatives. The activity  webinar was anchored through the Cooperative Project and Development Assistance  Section (CPDAS) in celebration of the CDA 33rd Anniversary.  

The Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and  Poverty (EPAHP) is a  convergence strategy of  the National Government  under the Inter-Agency  Task Force (IATF) Zero  Hunger which started in  the year 2016 to help  mitigate hunger, ensure food and nutrition security and reduce poverty in urban and  rural communities in support to the Zero Hunger target of the government by 2030.  Mr. Noel P. Villones, EPAHP Regional Program Coordinator discussed the different  strategic measures with the partner agencies and the institutional framework  convergence and synergy. EPAHP offers marketing, technical and financial linkages  to the different organizations like the cooperatives, associations, ARBOs, CBOs, and  others. With this program cooperatives are given more opportunities to be able to  market and sell their produced goods.  

One of the Specialized Program of the DSWD is the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)  an enhanced program of the SEA – K which was formally adopted in 2011. The program  is a capacity -building  intervention  for poor, vulnerable,   and   marginalized   households   and   communities  to help  improve their socio – economic conditions through accessing and acquiring necessary assets to  engage in and maintain thriving livelihoods. The program offers Micro – Enterprise  Development (MD) Track, which provides micro enterprises through capital,  enhancement of skills and building /re-building and developing physical assets.  Employment Facilitation (EF) Track is provided to the eligible households who prefer  employment. SLP enables the growth of capabilities by providing access to resources  and partners that improve the productivity of their livelihood assets. The program was  presented by Ms. Maria Christina L. Manicani, Government Sector Partnership Officer,  SLP.  

As we celebrate the National Women’s  Month this March, CDA Acting  Regional Director Ms. Venus M.  Jornales greeted the empowered  women in the webinar as well as the  strong men and women of the  cooperatives. She shared to the group  one of the big event of CDA Region  VIII is the hosting of the upcoming 2nd National Summit of the Consumers, Marketing, Producers and Logistics (CMPL)  Cluster which will be held in Tacloban City come September 7, 2023 and so she  enjoined all cooperatives under this cluster to support and be part of the success of  the activity. Cooperatives are partners in the development and have a bigger role in  alleviating hunger by participating in the program and the  sustainable livelihood program on   the services of the cooperative in the  development aspect and our social  responsibility to the members of the  cooperative and the community.  Through the cooperatives, we will be  able to address and contribute to the  development of the community and  the nation. In closing, Sr. CDS Rowan L. Delos  Santos extended heartwarming  thanks to the speakers, the partners  from DSWD for the time given in  sharing the relevant programs of the  agency to the cooperatives and to the  cooperators for continuously  participating in the activities of the  Authority.