Six agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in northern Negros Occidental have received a total of ₱ 2.83 million in livelihood aid and support service packages from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
In a report, the DAR Negros Occidental I-North said five groups were granted ₱ 2.4 million worth of assistance during a series of distribution rites held earlier this month.
Those who received productivity support packages were the Ma-aslob ARB Association in Barangay Ma-aslob, Calatrava; Sitio Calaptan Sta. Ana Ascalon Farmers Association in Barangay San Isidro, EB Magalona; and Merian Small Farmers Association, Inc. and Barangay San Pablo Farmworkers Association, both in Barangay San Pablo, Manapla.
The San Jose United Agrarian Reform Farmers Association in Barangay San Jose, Toboso availed of a sugarcane production bundle.
Rizalina Yuguing, officer-in-charge of DAR-Negros Occidental-I Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD), said the livelihood support would benefit about 152 farmer-beneficiaries and their respective families and communities.
This is being implemented under the agency’s Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project (CLAAP), in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, wherein the ARBOs are enabled to plan, set up, start, and operate a livelihood business undertaking through the provision of seed capital, business training, and technical marketing assistance services.
After the project turnover, the PBDD conducts technical capacity development, including coaching and mentoring on fertilizer trading and management, enterprise-based organizing, and market assistance for the beneficiaries.
Manapla municipal agrarian reform program officer Ma. Victoria Delgado said they are working to help farmer-beneficiaries optimize the use of the land awarded to them through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
“Our mission is to provide and create income-generating opportunities for our ARBs to help all of them earn a steady and sufficient income through livelihood and micro-enterprises,” Delgado said.
The Hacienda Sto. Niño United Farmworkers Association in Manapla also received ₱ 430,000 worth of support services package for a small-scale duck egg production project in a separate turnover ceremony.
The package consisted of 180 ready-to-lay ducks and 20 drakes, an egg incubator machine, a hand tractor, a series of capacity development training, and the establishment of housing for ducks.
The organization, composed of 30 members, is collectively managing a 45.5-hectare land formerly owned by the ALM Group of Farms, Inc., which was acquired by the government through the CARP.
The project, intended for the rehabilitation of disaster-affected agrarian reform areas, is implemented under the Sustainable Livelihood Support, a sub-component of Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support also under the agency’s PBDD, which delivers development and support services interventions by the provision of training programs, and construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities.
(Erwin Nicavera via Philippine News Agency (PNA), photo courtesy of PNA)