29 ARCs listed in Iloilo
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Iloilo reported that there are now 29 Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) established in some 87 barangays of the different municipalities of this province including the recently launched AGSIBAGO ARC in the municipality of Lambunao.
These 29 ARCs cover a total of 38,391 hectares distributed to about 3,500 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
An ARC is a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of barangays where there is a critical mass of farmers and farm-workers awaiting the full implementation of agrarian reform. The ARC strategy was adopted by the DAR in 1993 with a vision to facilitate the necessary provision of support services to the less developed areas where a majority of the residents are Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries.
The 29 ARCs spread in the different municipalities of Iloilo province include the Sto. Tomas and Jaguimitan ARCs in Passi City; Aposaga ARC in Sara; CAPISAN-BONDULAN ARC in San Dionisio; PUPANTA ARC in Lambunao; DUMILES-CUBAY ARC in San Enrique; De la Paz ARC in Banate; San Geronimo ARC in Btac. Viejo; Tentay ARC in Sara, Parara Dorong-an and NABINDASI ARCs in Tigbauan and Velasco ARC in Lemery.
The others are Cag-an ARC in Anilao, Toyungan and IPILON ARCs in Calinog, Sto. Rosario ARC in Ajuy, Dumangas ARC in Dumangas, Pakiad ARC in Oton, Damires ARC in New Lucena, TIMIPAL ARC in Balasan, GUINTAPAGIN ARC in Bingawan, Bulak ARC in Batad, Central Janiuay ARC in Janiuay, BACASILUPA in Guimbal, ABSIPA ARC in Dingle, AGCA ARC in Concepcion, CLABBIS ARC in Badiangan and San Andres Florentino (SAF) in San Rafael.
DAR Iloilo Information Officer Yvonne Senobin said some of these ARCS have also benefited from foreign assisted development projects that helped spur economy in the area. To date, about 26 ARCs are supported by the Food Agriculture Organization-Technical Support Services to Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (FAO-TSSARD), 3 ARCs by Japan Bank for International Cooperation- Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project II (JBIC-ARISP II) and 10 ARCs by the DAR -Asian Development Bank Agrarian Reform Communities Project (DAR-ADB-ARCP).
Senobin further said that agrarian reform beneficiaries have also organized themselves into cooperatives or farmers' associations that transformed some of them into small entrepreneurs which is in support of the current thrust of the present administration to create more jobs particularly in the countryside.
(PIA)