EFFORTS to improve farmers agricultural production was further enhanced as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) led by Secretary John R. Castriciones and Undersecretary for Support Services Office Emily O. Padilla turned over almost P17 million worth of Common Service Facilities (CSFs) in a simple ceremony at Barangay Rumbang, Pototan, Iloilo on March 29, 2019.
DAR-Iloilo Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II Lucrecia S. Taberna said the equipment include 3 dump truck, 2 units of 35-horsepower tractors, and 2 units of combine rice harvester.
The beneficiaries are 1,585 members of five Iloilo-based Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs).
These ARBOs are located in Oton (Southern Iloilo Area Multi-Purpose Coperative), Janiuay (KAMTA PMPC – Kapisanan ng mga Mambubukid ng Tambal Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative), Sara (LADAP – Lanciola, Anoring, Devera, Aldeguer, Padios Agrarian Reform Cooperative), San Rafael (SFARCO – San Florentino Agrarian Reform Cooperative) and Passi City (KASAPPI – Katilingban sang Mangunguma Padulong sa Paguswag sang Iloilo Agrarian Reform Cooperative).
Also, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by and between DAR and recipient ARBOs on the Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project (CLAAP).
The program is one of the mechanisms that DAR is facilitating to help farmers improve their quality of life by helping them develop their agricultural enterprises by establishing livelihood and micro enterprise projects like vegetable and fruit farming, food processing, livestock raising, among others.
It is in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Almost P5.2 million in project assistance under CLAAP will be implemented, particularly corn and rice production, swine production and fattening.
The recipients are 208 ARBO members from the Municipalities of Barotac Viejo (NAMIAS-Nagpana Minorities Association) and San Rafael (SFARCO – San Florentino Agrarian Reform Cooperative) in Iloilo.
Secretary Castriciones and USec Padilla underscored the importance of farming and the family as the focal point.
According to USec Padilla, DAR will endeavor to encourage our farmers to get back into farming and to motivate even their children to farm, to cultivate and to make the land productive so that we will have food to eat. She said that DAR will further facilitate various programs and services for our farmers.
Secretary Castriciones on the other hand, emphasized the value of being industrious, hardworking, and to be helpful with one another and not to forget to be thankful to God, to the government and to DAR for such blessings.
Castriciones said that DAR will continue to give more lands to the landless and to provide the necessary support services to the ARBs.
He also mentioned about the latest program of DAR, the Pabahay housing projects for the farmers which is very affordable too.
