DAR extends livelihood assistance to Cebu women-farmers

SEVEN female agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Cebu thanked the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for giving them economic assistance through its poultry project under the PaSSOver: ARBold Move to Heal as One for Deliverance of ARBs from the Covid-19 Pandemic. Each of them received P15,000 worth of native chicken and supplements.

DAR-Central Visayas (Region 7) officer-in-charge for operations Varinia Bajenting-Fabillar, who is also the OIC for DAR-Cebu, said five of the seven beneficiaries are members of the Bongon Farmers Association in Tabuelan (BOFAT) and the two others from Panaghugpong sa mga Molupyo sa Colonia (PAMOCO) in Tuburan town.

Bajenting-Fabillar said the livelihood project would be of great help for women farmers who are among the vulnerable sectors in the society.

Lourdes Duron, a 77-year old farmer-beneficiary from barangay Bongon, Tabuelan, said: “Salamat DAR, kini nga proyekto usa ka dako nga tabang sa among pamilya. (Thank you, DAR, this project is a big help to our family.)

Simplicia Batiller, a 69-year old beneficiary from Colonia, Tuburan, said she is grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of the DAR's livelihood poultry projects.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Jennette R. Oporto said that women ARBs, who are engaged in corn farming, found the assistance as timely especially at this time of health crisis brought about by the Novel Coronavirus 19.

MARPO Oporto said that the women ARBs had attended the Orientation on basic knowledge and skills on Native Poultry production conducted by the DARPO Cebu - Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) last July to give them better understanding in poultry raising.

MARPO Liza Toroy said that eight other women ARBs from barangay Tubod, Budbud, and Dakit in Barili town, were also recipients of the same livelihood project and they all made commitment to make the project sustainable.