THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Zamboanga Peninsula and its attached agencies held a community outreach program in a remote village of Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte.

The community outreach was held Friday, October 1, in Lipay village in celebration of the 2021 World Food Day.

The personnel of the DA-Zamboanga Peninsula personnel and partner agencies traveled a 22-kilomter rough road before their reach the place when the outreach was held.

Reynaldo Campomanes, DA-Zamboanga Peninsula Chief of Operations, said the agency, through rice program, provided each household a sack of 50-kilogram rice.

The DA-Zamboanga Peninsula High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) gave fresh vegetables and fruits and assorted vegetable seeds while the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (Rafis) provided P1,000 worth of grocery items.

Meanwhile, the recipient-families also received other grocery supplies from other agencies. These include one liter of fresh milk from Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), two kilos sugar from Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), one kilo chicken from Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and 10 cans of sardines from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

"We feel very fortunate that Barangay Lipay in our municipality was chosen as the beneficiary of these food packs. This will greatly help in this community," Jose Dalman Mayor Rachel Ferrater said.

"In behalf of our Regional Executive Director Rad Donn Cedeño, the DA-Zamboanga Peninsula is elated to come here and provide you food assistance as part of our celebration of this World Food Day," Campomanes told the recipient-residents of Lipay village.

Lenlen Rebucas, one of the recipients, expressed her gratitude to the DA-Zamboanga Peninsula and its attached agencies.

"These grocery supplies provided by the DA really helped us because we no longer need to buy them, especially the milk for my children," Rebucas said. (SunStar Zamboanga)