By Lilibeth A. French
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) reached out to agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in the province of Iloilo to ensure that they are provided with assistance that will further improve and sustain their productivity and income.
Over P1.7 million worth of common service facilities and agricultural inputs were turned over by DAR Secretary Bro. John Castriciones to three ARB organizations in the province during the Distribution of EP/CLOAs and Turn Over of Common Service Facilities on May 15, 2021 at Sara National High School (SNHS).
Castriciones was joined by Iloilo 5th district Rep. Raul Tupas, Sara Mayor Jon Aying and other DAR officials during the turnover of the said support services under the agency’s Climate-Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project.
The recipient ARBOs included the Nagkaisa Agrarian Reform Cooperative, San Luis ARB Association and Bagaygay ARBs Organization, all from the municipality of Sara.
The Nagkaisa Agrarian Reform Cooperative, composed of 126 members, received farm machineries, equipment and sustainable livelihood support worth P372,020.
Among the farm inputs received by the San Luis ARB Association are one water pump, three sowers, four knapsack sprayers, one grass cutter and farm inputs with a total cost of P371,390. The organization has 100 members.
Bagaybay ARBO with 77 member ARBs got two hand tractors with trailers, two turtle power tillers, two rice threshers with blower, four grass cutters, two changeable sprayers, 10 spades7 knapsack sprayers and farm inputs amounting to P1,046, 155.00.
Also, DAR-Iloilo strengthened its partnership with the local government unit of San Dionisio and two ARB organizations in the town after a memorandum of agreement was signed that will link farmers to markets.
The Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market with Microfinance (LinkSFarMM) project aims to help farmers venture into agroenterprise and find stable markets through institutional buyers.
DAR Iloilo Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Harriet Loot and San Dionisio mayor Darwin Bajada formally forged the agreement during the event at SNHS. (PIA)
