The Enhanced Partnerships Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program endorsed 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) to engage with DSWD as service providers using a Negotiated Procurement Community Participation (NP-CP) mode of procurement.

In a ceremonial signing of purchase orders on August 7, 2024, in Cebu City, the DSWD awarded PHP 28.5 million in contracts to 14 community-based organizations in Central Visayas.

Under RA 11321, or the Sagip Saka Act, and RA 9184, or the Conduct of Community Participation in Procurement, it allows small cooperatives and enterprises, or CBOs, to participate in the bidding process of institutions like DSWD and other markets and to directly purchase from their agricultural, fisheries, and other products using NP-CP.

Out of 21 CBOs endorsed, fourteen (14) were qualified to supply goods for the Cycle 14 implementation of the Supplementary Feeding Program of DSWD, which will feed children in daycare centers for 120 days, two of which are Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs) organized by the DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program.

CBOs who qualified and received a contract are the Catarman Market Vendors Association (Dauis), Cawayan Sustainable Livelihood Program Beneficiaries Association (Inabanga), Bohol DAR Employees and Communities Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Tagbilaran City), and Bohol Bayanihan (Bangon Yanong lgsoon Haligi ka sa Nasud) Multi-Purpose Cooperative) (Talibon) from Bohol; Carcar Communities and Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Carcar), Compostela Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Compostela), Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Pinamungajan), Sibonga Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Sibonga), San Roque Women Action for Progress Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Talisay City), and First Consolidated Along Tafion Seabords (Toledo City) from Cebu; Amlan Multi-Purpose Agricultural Cooperative (Amlan), San Julio Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (Tanjay City), Bonbonon Farmers Agrarian Reform Multi-Purpose  Cooperative – Head Office (Siaton), and Bonbonon Farmers Agrarian Reform Multi-Purpose Cooperative – Zamboanguita Branch (Zamboanguita) from Negros Oriental; and the Alang sa Tanan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Siquijor) from Siquijor.

For two batches of delivery on August 12-14, 2024 (1st) and October 8-10, 2024 (2nd), these CBOs will supply food items such as egg, rice, sotanghon noodles, cooking oil, powdered tablea, pancake or hotcake mix, and canned beef loaf directly to LGUs implementing SFP.

By directly tapping CBOs in the LGUs, SFP ensures the availability of logistics, the fast delivery of goods directly to the end-user, and perishable food items will not be compromised.

EPAHP Focal Person Lovelyn Garcia said that the program’s Regional Convergence Team continues to assess more CBOs to engage in this endeavor. “Our goal with EPAHP’s engagement with CBOs is to ensure food security, poverty reduction, and growth of the local economy in the community,” she added.

One of the program interventions, together with the convergence team members, is the linkage of CBOs to institutional markets. EPAHP has provided opportunities and technical assistance to CBOs who want to join the procurement bidding processes using the NP-CP mode.

So far, EPAHP’s endorsed small organizations have joined the bidding process for DSWD’s procurement of supplies for SFP: three (3) in 2022, twenty (20) in 2023, and fourteen (14) in 2024; a total of 37 have already benefited and awarded over Php 81.5 million worth of contracts.

Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, who led the signing of the purchase orders, said that DSWD will continue prioritizing qualified CBOs to bid in procurement. She also said the Department will bolster EPAHP’s advocacy efforts for NP-CP.

“We can learn from this engagement. Our small cooperatives, which were beneficiaries of government aid, have now become business partners in serving the public. With EPAHP’s advocacy to reach out to more private sectors and schools for the training of CBOs and letting other stakeholders know the value of community participation in procurement activities, they may be able to grow their cooperatives and benefit their members,” she added.

Regional Director of Cooperative Development Authority, Ms. Cristina H. Villamil, Division Chiefs of DSWD for Promotive Services, Ms. Rosemarie S. Salazar, and Protective Services, Ms. Emma F. Patalinghug, DSWD Regional Program Coordinator of the Supplementary Feeding Program, Ms. Romilene C. Padilla, Section Chief of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Anna Deliza S. Barimbao, Department of Agrarian Reform Chief Program Officer Randolph Olvis, and Landbank of the Philippines Cebu South Lending Center Account Officer Rey Mark Papa attended the ceremonial signing. ###

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