ARBs in Bicol enroll in agri registry system, says DAR

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced on Sunday the registration of 3,438 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) using its electronic registry system or Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) to boost its assistance to small farmers in the Bicol region.

The DAR expects to complete the registration by the end of the year.

The move is in line with the goal of Secretary Conrado Estrella III of giving the farmers access to various government assistance programs, said Romulo Britanico, DAR Bicol assistant regional director for operations.

“We are pushing this endeavor because this will be beneficial for the farmers.”

DAR said the ARBs enrolled in the system will benefit from government assistance provided by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The RSBSA is an electronic database containing essential information for farmers, fishermen, and agri-fishery workers, and government programs and services for target beneficiaries. It will be a requirement for obtaining agri-fishery-related services from the DA, other government agencies, and private companies.

The DAR and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are strengthening their partnership to register ARBs in the DA’s database system.

“I appreciate the DA’s effort and thorough discussion on the RSBSA program. Following this, I will personally follow up with the provinces on this matter. And I hope that our accomplishment with RSBSA registration will increase,” Britanico said.

During a two-day learning session held early this month, DA representative Bjorn Borris De Los Santos discussed the claims procedure and how to sign up for the RSBSA.

“Based on our data, the number of registered ARBs in the RSBSA as of June 2022 is 13,210,” de Los Santos said.

Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Lerma Dino said that of the 3,438 ARB’s target of DAR-Bicol for this year, 1,537 had been registered in the first semester.

“Farmers have been denied farm assistance from the government because they were not registered in the RSBSA. That is why we are committed to enrolling our ARBs in the registry because we want them to qualify for services and assistance offered by the government,” Dino said.

The DAR is also urging 8 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) to become agri-insurance program underwriters. They will act as agents to persuade other ARBs to obtain insurance protection to cover crop losses resulting from natural disasters, plant diseases, and pest infestations, such as corn and palay.

As of June, 7 ARBOs are already accredited as underwriters. These include the Quipia Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative in Jovellar, Albay; the Castilla Development Cooperative in Castilla, Sorsogon; and five others from Camarines Sur, such as the Del Rosario Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Pili, the San Isidro Development Cooperative in Naga City, the San Agustin-San Ramon Agrarian Reform Farmers’ Cooperative in Bula, and the San Antonio Farmers Irrigator’s Association in Buhi, and Concepcion-Umalo Farmers’ Cooperative in Libmanan town.

Source: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/09/26/arbs-in-bicol-enroll-in-agri-registry-system-says-dar/