PILI, Camarines Sur – The regional office of the Department of Agriculture based in this municipality, together with the local government of Camarines Norte, recently launched the “Programang Agrikultura para sa Masa” (PGMA), a priority project of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to fight hunger and malnutrition.

        Based on report of the National Nutrition Council, Camarines Norte is among the provinces in the country identified as Very Very Vulnerable (VVV), which means that there is an alarming number of households suffering from food shortage and malnourished children.

        A total of 37,061 households in Camarines Norte were identified as beneficiaries of the program. Out of this number, some 5,069 households were identified as households with food shortage while some 4,412 children were found to be malnourished.

        According to Camarines Norte Gov. Jesus O. Typoco, Jr., 189 barangays in his province have cases of families with food shortage and malnourished children.

        He said the PGMA program will help minimize, if not totally eradicate, incidence of poverty and malnutrition in his province.

        He urged DA technicians and municipal agriculturists to work together to achieve the goal of alleviating poverty and malnutrition in Camarines Norte.

        DA OIC Regional Executive Director Arsenio A. Fortin said his office is giving away vegetable seeds, garden tools, and organic fertilizers for communal and school gardens to sustain food production.

        Native chickens and tilapia fingerlings will also be distributed to identified recipients.