MESSAGE OF THE MAFAR MINISTER DR. MOHAMMAD S. YACOB FOR THE 2020 NUTRITION MONTH

 

 

” Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu.

Greetings of peace and healthiness.

Acknowledgment of the dignitaries.

As I deliver my message, I would like to let you know of our desire and wish that everyone is in best shape and in optimum health status.

I am expressing my gratitude to the organizers of this event for inviting me to share significant information and thoughts for this year’s culmination of Nutrition Month celebration.

Since its establishment, the government of the BARMM has been endeavoring to bring the services and every assistance directly to the communities to aid the Bangsamoro in attaining improved standard of living.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we at the MAFAR have been in support to this advocacy. We have continued to deliver and distribute farming and fishing support along with technical and legal assistance to our farmers and fisherfolk who serve as the backbone of our region for without them, we would not have food to eat.

Statistics wise, almost 90% of the BARMM population are families who are into farming and fishing as their major livelihood and supporting them is like supporting the whole of BARMM.

What we are crucially facing now is the problem on poverty incidence. In 2018, six out of 10 Bangsamoro are poor thereby putting the record of poverty incidence at 63% in the region.

This is the main reason why we keep on empowering the communities to increase their production and income to stabilize their economic status so that they will be able to buy their needs especially in terms of nourishment and nutrition.

We are now almost done with the development of the Food Security and Nutrition Roadmap with the vision of a self- reliant, food-secured, and resilient Bangsamoro. This is with the indispensable assistance of the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and our partner ministries and institutions in the BARMM.

One of its goals is the balanced intake of halal food and with this, we strive hard to work for the establishment and institutionalization of halal board so we can ensure the implementation and sustainability of halal production and value chain up to consumption that will bring about proper nutrition in every family.

From us in the MAFAR, we would to express our warmest greetings and congratulations for all the jobs well done for this nutrition month celebration with the theme, “BATANG PINOY, SANA TALL, IWAS STUNTING, SAMA ALL! IWAS ALL DIN SA COVID-19.

Kudos to all, wassalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.”