Rule V: Rights and Empowermentof Marginalized Sectors Ear Food Security and Productive Resources — The State recognizes the contribution of womento foodproductionand shall ensureits sustainability and sufficiency,including in the contextofclimate change,with the active participation of women. Towardsthis end, the State shall guarantee,atall times, the availability in the market of safe and health-giving food to satisfy the dietary needs of the population, giving particular attention to the specific needs of poorgirl-children and marginalized women, especially pregnantandlactating mothers and their young children. The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with other concerned departments, LGUs, and stakeholdersshall: (a) undertake programsand projects on food security that are gender- responsive;(b) recognize womenas farmers andfisherfolk and give them equal opportunities to participate in programsandprojects; (c) ensure the active and directparticipation of rural women's groups, other than Rural Improvement Clubs, in policy and program formulation, planning and designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of DA programsat the local levels including, but notlimited to, the rice master plan; (d) ensure that girl-children and womenbenefit from all DA programs; (e) ensure food safety by strengthening food management, control and regulatory systems,including provision of necessary facilities; and (f) promote community-based seed bankinginitiated and operated by women and barangay level sustainable resource management. LGUsshall formulate and implement a community-based food security plan that shall respect religious andcultural practices. The plan shall be integrated into the developmentplans of the LGUsto ensurethatit is funded and implemented. Women's groups shall actively participate in planning and designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the plan. A. Right to Food 1. The DA shall: a. In coordination with other agencies,involve womenin food production, processing, and marketing programs b. In coordination with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) — Industrial Technology DevelopmentInstitute (ITD!), provide updated, useful information and gender-sensitive technologies for production, processing, and marketing of food products; c. In coordination with the LGUs, strengthen capacities of women by designing and implementing appropriate training programs for food security; d. Involve womenin food security program development, implementation, monitoring andevaluation; and e. Promote the useof organicfertilizer in food production. 2. The DTI and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in coordination with other concerned agencies,shall provide timely and accurate information on food safety suchas, but not limited to, labeling and traceability. 3. The DOST, Department of Energy (DOE), DA and other concerned agencies shall encouragethe use ofalternative or renewable energy in food production. B. Right to Resources for Food Production 1. Equal status shall be given to women and men, whether married ornot,in thetitling of the land and issuance of stewardship contracts and patents. Further: 66