New World Bank-funded project covers 422 villages in Region 8

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 21 (PNA) – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has listed 422 villages in Eastern Visayas as target areas in the implementation of World Bank (WB)-funded project designed to enhance the competitiveness of farmers and improve their access to markets.

The Inclusive Partnerships for Agricultural Competitiveness (IPAC) Project will cover this city and 22 towns in Leyte, Eastern Samar, Samar, and Northern Samar.

The project, which was earlier endorsed by the Regional Development Council, will run for four years, starting 2016.

Target areas are Palo, Alang-alang, San Miguel, Sta. Fe, Tacloban City, Babatngon, Villaba, San Isidro, and Tabango in Leyte; Can-avid, Taft, Dolores, and Sulat in Eastern Samar; Basey, Calbiga, Marabut, Pinabacdao, Sta. Rita, and Villareal in Samar; and Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon, and Lope de Vega in Northern Samar.

These areas with existing agrarian reform communities (ARCs) is grouped into five clusters with combined cultivated areas of 140,363 hectares, according to DAR Eastern Visayas Assistant Regional Director Ismael Aya-ay.

“This will support small and medium agriculture-related business of small holder farmers and their organizations in increasing their level of competitiveness through enhance linkage to viable markets,” Aya-ay explained.

IPAC enlists both ARC and non-ARC areas utilizing PHP10.64 billion budget, primarily funded through a loan from WB.

Of the 422 villages, 109 are in Leyte, 73 in Eastern Samar, 158 in Samar, and 82 in Northern Samar. These areas have 29 existing ARCs or places covered by the government’s comprehensive agrarian reform program.

Nationwide, IPAC enlists 203 towns in 44 provinces located in 14 regions. The project takes into account the magnitude of agrarian reform beneficiaries and poverty incidence.

The project aims to organize and enhance the capacity of farmers to engage in market-oriented production and agri-business, increase their access to appropriate and sustainable production, and enhance the linkage of farmers to viable markets and establish productive partnership between them nd commercial private sector or buyers.

Other components are stabilization of land tenure through the subdivision of collective titles and provide critical rural infrastructure to support the agri-enterprise development in the targeted clusters.

The project will provide grant to farmers’ group for the improvement of processing of agricultural products, presentation and promotion, product quality and standards, post harvest handling, accessibility to services, and marketing. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO