Sta. Maria, Laguna – “We constantly visit the rural communities all over the country to personally see the situations of our farmers and provide them the support they need, be it land, farm inputs, and equipment or credit facilities, so that we could help in uplifting their lives,” said Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Brother John Castriciones during their land distribution of 200.72 hectares of agricultural lands to 222 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in this town.

Brother John said the DAR is incessantly working to carry out a more aggressive implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) following President Rodrigo Duterte’s marching order to improve the economic lives of the farmers.

“The President tasked us to distribute all the remaining balance of CARP to the landless farmers. Along with it, we will ensure that they will receive all the necessary support services to make them productive,” Brother John added.

Aside from land distribution, the department also turned over one (1) unit of hauling truck for major crop-based block farm to SANTAMASI Irrigators Association, Inc. with 727 total membership of which 114 are ARB members. The farm machinery is provided through the agency’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) Project.

The DAR also had a dialogue with seven (7) agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in the province to know their concerns and issues related to their farms and organizations so that the department could craft policies to resolve them.

The DAR also launched the Sta. Maria ARC Cluster Development Plan (ARCDP) to further develop the agrarian reform communities in the municipality.

Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla said they were doing these activities to have sustainable rural development and industrialization in the countryside.

“We will further strengthen the ARBOs and the agrarian reform communities so that in the future, they can stand on their own and the agriculture sector will become more progressive in our country,” Padilla said.

Sta. Maria, Laguna – “Patuloy nating binibisita ang mga kanayunan sa buong bansa upang makita natin ng personal ang sitwasyon ng mga magsasaka at mabigyan natin sila ng suporta, mapa-lupa, kagamitan sa pagsasaka o pautang man ang mga ito, upang matulungan natin silang umunlad ang kanilang mga pamumuhay,” ani Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Brother John Castriciones nang mamahagi siya ng 200.72 ektaryang lupain sa 222 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) sa bayang ito.

Ayon kay Brother John, ang DAR ay hindi tumitigil sa pagtratrabaho upang lalong mapaigting ang pagpapatupad ng Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), alinsunod sa kautusan ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na paunlarin ang pamumuhay ng mga magsasaka.

“Inatasan tayo ng Pangulo na ipamahagi na lahat ang natitirang lupain sa ilalim ng CARP sa mga magsasakang walang lupain. Kasabay nito ay sineseguro natin na makatatanggap sila ng mga kinakailangang suportang serbisyo upang lalo silang maging produktibo,” dagdag pa ni Brother John.

Bukod sa pamamahagi ng lupa, ang ahensiya ay nagkaloob din ng isang (1) yunit ng hauling truck sa SANTAMASI Irrigators Association, Inc. na may 727 kasapi, kung saan 114 na mga miyembro ay mga ARBs. Ang makinarya ay naipagkaoob sa ilalim ng Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) Project ng ahensiya.

Nakipag-ugnayan rin ang DAR sa pitong (7) agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) ng lalawigan upang malaman ang mga hinaing at suliranin sa bukirin at samahan, upang makagawa ang ahensya ng mga polisiya na magreresolba rito.

Inilunsad rin ng DAR ang Sta. Maria ARC Cluster Development Plan (ARCDP) upang lalong mapalakas ang mga agrarian reform communities ng munisipalidad.

Ayon kay Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla ginagawa nila ang mga aktibidades na ito upang magkaroon ng sustainable rural development and industrialization sa mga kanayunan.

“Lalo nating palalakasin ang mga ARBOs at ang agrarian reform communities upang pagdating ng araw ay makatayo sila sa sarili nilang mga paa at maging mas lalong progresibo ang sektor ng agrikultura sa ating bansa,” ani Padilla.