Installed ARBs in Ormoc now live a better life

ORMOC CITY – Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) installed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) into their awarded lots here in recent years have improved their quality of lives.

This was the observation of Regional Director Sheila Enciso, who visited early this month seven ARB organizations who were installed into their awarded lots under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) from 2016 to 2018 in different areas in the city and in the adjacent Kananga town.

These farmer-beneficiaries received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) many years ago, but struggled for 16 to 20 years before they were able to take possession of the awarded lots due to strong resistance from the previous landowners or conflict between two contending groups of farmers.

Since then, these farmers have also received assistance from other agencies aside from the support services extended by the DAR.

In Barangay Sumangga, Pablo Silva, 56, installed in 2016 and president of the Sumangga United Farmers Association, showed to Enciso their livelihood project, a mushroom production they started in December last year through the assistance extended by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Silva disclosed that mushroom production is one of their sources of livelihood today. Mushrooms grow fast and are sold at P300 per kilo. He added that their cooperative can harvest up to nine kilos per day.

Meanwhile, In Barangay Dolores, Benedicto Taneo, president of the Dolores Farmers Association (DOLFA), brought Enciso to their demo farm and shared that they will soon be graduating from the Farmer Field School (FFS) facilitated by the City Agriculturist’s Office.

He said that after FFS, they will be venturing in upland rice production and marketing.

For his part, Bienvenido Matuguina of Barangay Salvacion, shared that he invested part of his income, earned from the sugarland awarded to him, in calamansi production. At present, he has more than 100 calamansi-bearing trees planted in another lot.

He also said that their organization, the Salvacion Farmers Association, has 300 more calamansi trees planted in preparation for the calamansi processing project they are planning to venture into once the project proposal they submitted to the DOST is approved.

In Barangay Sabang Bao, Enciso was caught by surprise when the ARBs, who were only installed in April last year, were already harvesting rice in their awarded lots when she arrived; while in Barangay Montebello, the ARBs were peacefully preparing their once contested land to be planted with corn.

In the afternoon of the same day, all concerned ARBs gathered in Barangay Montebello for a dialogue with Enciso.

During the said occasion, Enciso expressed her happiness upon seeing them living an improved quality of life as envisioned under the CARP.

She likewise reminded the ARBs to continue keeping the land productive and encouraged those who have children entering college this coming school year to avail of the DAR Scholarship Program for the Dependents of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (DSP-DARBs), a new assistance program extended by the agency to its ARBs.

Enciso was accompanied by Assistant Regional Director for Administration and Land Tenure Security Program Ma. Fe Malinao, together with the Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officers of Ormoc and Tacloban, and Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Tomas Martinez, with the help of KAISAHAN, a non-government organization. (With reports from Jose Alsmith L. Soria)

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