TACLOBAN CITY — With the onset of the El Niño phenomenon, the provincial government has effected the formation of the Leyte Provincial Anti-Hunger Task Force (AHTF) whose main objective is to ensure that food shortage and hunger is prevented all towns and cities in Leyte.

The Office of the Governor, headed by Governor Carlos Jericho L. Petilla and the Provincial Nutrition Council of Leyte, has spearheaded the formal organization of the Provincial Anti-Hunger Task Force (PAHTF) last week. This move was in consonance with Executive Order No. 825 issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which mandates the implementation of the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program (AHMP) in the local levels, to complement the national government’s own undertaking in this effort.

Gov. Petilla immediately acted on the formation of the provincial task force as part of the Leyte province’s commitment to eradicate all forms of deprivation, including hunger. He said the provincial government will build a highly-efficient delivery of basic nutrition services, which actually had already been started even before the task force was formed.

The Provincial Anti-Hunger Task Force is composed of the Office of the Governor headed by Petilla, the Provincial Planning and Development Office, Provincial Nutrition Unit, Provincial Health Office, Provincial Population Office, Provincial Budget Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Provincial Agriculture Office, Provincial Veterinary Officer, and the Local Office In-Charge of Livelihood.

The members’ duties and responsibilities include coordinating with the national and regional AHTF, overseeing the implementation of the AHMP, and ensuring the convergence of services delivered by the national government agencies and LGUs.

They are also tasked to monitor the implementation of the AHMP provincial plan through the preparation of monthly progress reports on the implementation of such plan for submission to the Regional AHTF via the National Nutrition Council Regional Office; conduct regular meetings to update implementation and discuss and resolve implementation problems; conduct of annual program implementation review to assess accomplishments and gaps, regular project site visits and provision of feedback.

Likewise they are expected to lead in the advocacy for sustainable support to the program, to provide the public with regular updates on the AHMP, and to recommend to the National Task Force policy and program adjustments to improve the program’s efficiency.