DAR bares strategy for empowerment of farmer beneficiaries
Iloilo -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here in Western Visayas will continue to fast track empowerment of its farmer beneficiaries through its support services using the Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) strategy.
DAR Assistant Regional Director Manuel Liboon said that DAR has three program strategies in implementing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). This includes the Land Tenure Improvement, Delivery of Agrarian Justice and Program Beneficiaries Development.
"One of the components of Program Beneficiaries Development is the support services where we intensify development of ARCs", Liboon said.
The ARCs are identified barangays or clusters of barangays that serve as pilot areas for partnership and convergence of development interventions among CARP stakeholders. Since its adoption in 1993 the DAR intensified its interv ention in the ARCs to improve agricultural production to ensure food security, increase farm income and improve the quality of life in ARC households. This intervention consists of the quality of life in the infrastructure development, sustainable agriculture, access to credit assistance, investment and marketing assistance, training, extension services and community-based resource management.
In Iloilo province, from 1993 to 2005, DAR reported t hat 28 ARCs have been launched in the 24 municipalities of the province covering 83 barangays and benefiting around 8, 590 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).
The DAR revealed that four of these ARCs are found in the 1st district of the province located in the municipalities of Tigbauan, Oton, Guimbal and Tigbauan; one in the 2nd district in the municipality of New Lucena; 7 in the 3rd district located in the municipalities of Lambunao, Calinog, Bing awan, Janiauy and Badiangan; 7 in the 4th districts located in the municipalities of San Enrique, Banate, Passi City, Anilao, Dumangas and Dingle; and 9 in the 5th district located in the municipalities of Sara, San Dionisio, Btac. Viejo, Lemery, Ajuy, Balasan, Batad and Concepcion.
Liboon said the delivery of services to these ARCs in Iloilo has also been largely supported by Official Development Assistance (ODA) of foreig n donor communities. These foreign donors include the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Of the 28 ARCs, three have already availed of assistance under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP) supported by JBIC while 25 benefited from the Food and Agriculture Organization - Technical Support for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (FAO-TSARRD) of the United Nations and 10 ARCs are recipients of various projects from the Agrarian Reform Communities Project (ARCP) supported by the ADB.
The DAR-Iloilo reported that under the DAR-ARCP-ADB a total of P213,192,867.38 have been released for projects which have been approved. Of these projects 18 have been completed, one is still on-going and 8 are for implementation.
To further optimize the delivery of support services and other development requirements not only of ARBs but also farmers outside the ARCs the DAR adopted Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Agrarian Reform Zones (KALAHI-AR Zones). This effort strengthens support for the poverty alleviation program of the Arroyo administration.
Here in Iloilo, two areas have been declared KALAHI AR Zones by the DAR. One area covers the whole of Passi City and the municipality of San Enrique and the other is the whole of the fifth district.
Liboon said that they have expanded the coverage areas of the ARCs after they noted that farmer beneficiaries living in ARC areas have higher household income compared to the farmers living outside ARCs.
As of November 2005, the DAR has distributed a total of 56,240 hectares to 38,821 farmer beneficiar ies in the province. It has also placed a total of 37,553 hectares under leasehold operation for the benefit of 28,866 beneficiaries. (PIA)