The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Department of Agriculture (DA), in collaboration with the Brazil national government held a forum on hunger mitigation and poverty alleviation last Dec. 13 at the Intercontinental Manila.

Dubbed as “Harvest the future: Nourishing Filipino children, empowering Filipino farmers”, the forum aims to present strategies of the Philippines and Brazil on poverty reduction through community-driven approaches and agri-enterprise development.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman shared that the agency has been actively collaborating with the national and international agencies to ensure that the poor will have an improved quality of life.

“The collaborative efforts of DAR, DSWD and DA would create greater synergy in engaging the poor households and working closely with the rural communities in improving social capital while addressing hunger and alleviating poverty. Through community-driven approaches in agri-enterprise development and food security programs, the prospects for poverty reduction and hunger elimination in the rural areas are enhanced”, Soliman added.

Speaking also during the forum are His Excellency George Ney De Souza Fernandes of Brazil, Mr. Praveen Agrawal of the World Food Program, Mr. Milton Rondo and Engr. Israel Klug of Brazil and Director Arnel B. Garcia of DSWD Region 5.