LEGAZPI CITY — A total of 3,438 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the Bicol region will be electronically registered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) 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,” Britanico said.

He said the ARBs enrolled in the system will greatly benefit from government assistance provided by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and the Rice Competitive 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.

Britanico said 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 the two-day learning session, 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 persuading the eight (8) agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) to become agri-insurance program (AIP) 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 2022, seven 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.

LEGAZPI CITY — May kabuuang 3,438 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) sa Bicol region ang irerehistro sa elektronikong paraan ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) sa Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) sa pagtatapos ng taon.

Ang hakbang ay naaayon sa layunin ni Secretary Conrado Estrella III na mapagkalooban ang mga magsasaka ng iba’t ibang tulong at programa mula sa gobyerno, ayon kay Romulo Britanico, DAR-Bicol assistant regional director for operations.

“Itinutulak namin ang pagsisikap na ito dahil ito ay magiging kapaki-pakinabang para sa mga magsasaka,” ani Britanico.

Aniya, ang mga ARB na nakatala sa sistema ay makikinabang nang malaki sa mga programa ng pamahalaan tulad ng Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) at Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Ang RSBSA ay isang elektronikong database na naglalaman ng pangunahing impormasyon para sa mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at manggagawa sa agraryo at pangingisda, gayundin ang mga programa at serbisyo ng pamahalaan para sa mga target na benepisyaryo. Ito ay kinakailangan para sa pagkuha ng mga serbisyong nauugnay sa agraryo at pangingisda mula sa DA, iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno, at pribadong kumpanya.

Sinabi ni Romulo Britanico na pinalalakas ng DAR at ng Department of Agriculture (DA) ang kanilang partnership para mairehistro ang mga ARB sa database system ng DA.

“Salamat sa tulong ng DA sa natalakay naming programa ng RSBSA. Kasunod nito, personal kong tutulungan ang mga lalawigan sa usaping ito. At umaasa ako na ang ating tagumpay sa pagpaparehistro ng RSBSA ay dadami," ani Britanico.

Sa loob ng dalawang araw na sesyon ng pag-aaral, tinalakay ng kinatawan ng DA na si Bjorn Borris De Los Santos ang pamamaraan para makamit ang mga benepisyo at kung paano magpatala para sa RSBSA.

"Batay sa aming datos, ang bilang ng mga nakarehistrong ARB sa RSBSA noong Hunyo 2022 ay 13,210," ani de Los Santos.

Sinabi ni Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Lerma Dino na sa kabuuang 3,438 ARBs na target para sa taong ito ng DAR-Bicol, 1,537 na ang nairehistro sa unang semestre.

"Ang mga magsasaka ay tinatanggihang bigyan ng tulong mula sa pamahalaan dahil hindi sila nakarehistro sa RSBSA. Kaya't kami ay nakatuon sa pagrehistro ng aming mga ARB dahil gusto namin silang maging kuwalipikado sa mga serbisyo at tulong na iniaalok ng gobyerno," ani Dino.

Hinihikayat din ng DAR ang walong (8) agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) na maging agri-insurance program (AIP) underwriters. Sila ay kikilos bilang mga ahente upang hikayatin ang ibang mga ARB na makakuha ng insurance protection upang masakop ang mga pagkalugi ng pananim na dulot ng mga natural na sakuna, sakit sa halaman, at mga peste, tulad ng mais at palay.

Noong Hunyo 2022, pitong (7) ARBO ang mga naging akreditadong underwriter na. Kabilang dito ang Quipia Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative sa Jovellar, Albay; ang Castilla Development Cooperative sa Castilla, Sorsogon; at limang iba pa mula sa Camarines Sur, tulad ng Del Rosario Multi-Purpose Cooperative sa Pili, ang San Isidro Development Cooperative sa Naga City, ang San Agustin-San Ramon Agrarian Reform Farmers' Cooperative sa Bula, at ang San Antonio Farmers Irrigator's Association sa Buhi, at Concepcion-Umalo Farmers' Cooperative sa bayan ng Libmanan.