Palace to create Task Force on Zero Hunger

April 2, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte would issue an executive order, creating an inter-agency task force that aims to achieve "zero hunger" in the country by 2030.

The creation of Zero Hunger Inter-Agency Task Force was discussed during the 36th Cabinet meeting in Malacanang on Monday night.

"In a bid to fast-track the government's campaign to fight hunger, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles presented the proposed EO on the creation of an Inter-agency Task Force on Zero Hunger," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

He said the task force would be composed of 36 agencies.

In a separate statement, Nograles said Duterte approved the proposal and the issuance of the EO was just being finalized.

Citing data, Nograles said 2.4 million families experienced moderate to extreme hunger in 2018, 13.7 million Filipino children are undernourished, and that a fifth of Filipinos children until the age of five are underweight.

“It is apparent that current efforts aren’t enough, and that at this point an inter-agency task force that can focus and align the different work being done to address the different aspects of hunger is needed," he said.

“We plan to get there eventually. Our first milestone is to reduce current hunger levels by 25 percent two and a half years after the EO is issued. 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,” said Nograles, a former Davao City congressman.

Under the proposed EO, he said the task force would formulate a national food policy to ensure the attainment of zero hunger and poverty eradication, consistent with the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan; rationalize existing domestic laws, decrees, policies and issuances pertinent to the alleviation of hunger and poverty, consistent with international laws and treaty obligations; identify and ensure institutional responsibilities of concerned government agencies and adopt a whole of government approach to implement the directives of the EO; determine key indicators that are measurable in terms of periodic targets for achieving zero hunger and poverty eradication; and monitor government’s compliance of periodic targets, policies and programs.

The task force would be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, with the Department of Social Development and Welfare and Department of Agriculture designated as vice chairs. Celerina Monte/DMS