DAR turns-over P2.1-M worth of farm machineries to Aklanon ARBs in the Western District
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province of Aklan turned-over P2.1-million worth of farm machineries to 1,041 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to enable them to cope with the adverse effect of the pandemic on their livelihood and communities.
Asosasyon ng mga Boracay ATI Tribal Organization, CABADU Irrigators’ Association, Libang Irrigators’ Association, Tagas Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, and Fatima Agrarian Reform Cooperative are the recipients of midi cargo truck, cargo tricycles, mega rice mill, rice cutters and irrigation pumps.
Regional Director Shiela Enciso said the machineries are implemented under the project dubbed as project “The PASSOVER: ARBold Move for Deliverance of our ARBs from the COVID 19 Pandemic.”
“This project intends to continue the provision of critical support to ARBs to ensure continued agricultural production, livelihood and marketing of agricultural products, thereby ensuring their regular income,” Enciso said.
The provision of these support services is expected to raise the productivity and income of the members of the ARB organizations.
OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO) Ma. Teresa Valencia explained that the farm machineries would help stabilize food production activities of the ARBs and catch up with the market demands avoiding wastage and inconvenient price distortions as well as cost escalations.
“We are grateful that our Congressman Teodorico T. Haresco Jr., who is our staunch supporter during the budget deliberations of DAR, is one with us in ensuring that farmers should be top priority in the provision of support services, hence his initiatives benefitted our farmers,” Valencia said.
Congressman Haresco, on his part, told the ARBs to maximize the use of the facilities they receive because it is provided to boost their economic lives.
“We are your partner in your lives and expect that more support will come in your way,” Haresco said.
The recipient ARB organizations are from the towns of Malay, Makato, Tangalan, and Malinao.
Myrna Abelarde, ARB from Fatima agrarian reform cooperative, promised the DAR that they would cultivate their farms and make it more productive.
“The support we receive from the government is a success to all the ARBs,” she said.
Apart from Congressman Haresco and DAR's Regional Director Enciso, this big event in the Western District of Aklan was attended by: Gov. Florencio Miraflores, Mayor Gary Fuentes of Tangalan, Mayor Venancio Torres of Makato, Mayor Josephine Iquiña of Malinao, DAR's Asst. Regional Director Lucrecia Taberna and PCIC's Regional Manager Eva Ulie Laud.
Aside from the distribution of marketing support facilities and farm implements to identified ARBOs in the Western District, Crop Insurance Indemnity Checks were also issued to 33 ARB household members.
