The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Region 1 is gearing up for the implementation of the Kumustasaka Project, a collaborative effort with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched in September 2023.
Kumustasaka, envisioned as an “ARB-tracing programme” by the FAO, aims to create a comprehensive socio-economic profile of roughly 2.8 million agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across the country. This project endeavors to assess the current state of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), a program launched nearly 50 years ago. By validating land ownership information, identifying crops planted, and gauging access to essential support services, Kumustasaka will provide valuable information to enhance farm productivity.
An open-source data collection app will be utilized to gather information directly from ARBs.
The project will be piloted in Pangasinan, where data will be collected from 5,000 ARBs residing in six municipalities: Asingan, Balungao, Rosales, and Sta. Maria (all within the 6th congressional district), along with Sto. Tomas and Villasis (in the 5th district).
To ensure adherence to the Data Privacy Act of 2012, the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO) conducted a Data Privacy Impact Assessment and Data Governance Workshop for the Kumustasaka Project on March 14-15, 2024, in Quezon City.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders, including the Kumustasaka Project Technical Working Group, Special Project Management Team, representatives from DAR Region 1 and DARPO Pangasinan, and ARB representatives.
On March 19-20, 2024, GOVSOLUTIONs INC. (AI4GOV), a service provider for the FAO, conducted a trial run of the enhanced Kumustasaka ARB Information System in Pangasinan. This pilot test involved on-site data collection through surveys to identify areas for improvement within the system.
A subsequent round of data collection using the system is scheduled for April 2024.
(Source: DAR – Ilocos Region – Region 1 Facebook page)
