THE Department of Health (DOH) Ilocos Region reaffirmed its commitment to community development and inter-agency collaboration as it joined the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony to support Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPaHP) program.
The ceremonial signing, held on October 23, 2025 in Bauang, La Union brought together key national and regional government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and people’s organizations to strengthen collective action toward achieving food security, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable livelihood initiatives.
DOH Ilocos Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco expressed the agency’s enthusiasm for the partnership, stating:
“We at DOH Ilocos are proud to stand alongside DSWD and our partner agencies in advancing the goals of the EPaHP program. Health and nutrition are integral to poverty reduction, and by working together, we are building healthier, more resilient communities.”
“We pledged our support through nutrition-sensitive and health-promoting interventions that will directly benefit marginalized communities. The EPaHP initiative aligns with the department’s broader mission of ensuring equitable access to health and nutrition services across the region”, she emphasized.
The EPaHP program serves as a convergence platform among government agencies to promote sustainable food systems and empower local farmers’ cooperatives and associations through institutional market linkages. Under this partnership, the DOH will help ensure that nutrition support, health promotion, and food safety are integrated into local implementation plans.
DSWD Regional Director Marie Angela S. Gopalan lauded the participation and support of DOH Ilocos, emphasizing that the success of EPaHP depends on strong collaboration among government partners.
“The inclusion of DOH reinforces the program’s holistic approach—addressing not only hunger and poverty, but also the health and well-being of every Filipino,” she added.
The MOA signing marks another milestone in the shared commitment of government agencies to uphold inclusive growth, promote food security, and uplift the lives of vulnerable Filipinos across the Ilocos Region.
The Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPaHP) is a government-wide initiative led by the DSWD that seeks to mitigate hunger, ensure food security, and reduce poverty through sustainable and collaborative interventions among national government agencies, LGUs, and community-based organizations.
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