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

Gov’t taps Samar agrarian reform beneficiaries as feeding program supplier

CALBIGA, Samar, Dec. 5 (PNA) – Four agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) will be tapped as supplier of fresh farm products for the feeding of 803 day care pupils in 39 centers in this town.

This resulted after Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) Leovigildo Monge and Mayor Melchor Nacario formalized last week the alliance between the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the local government unit (LGU) by signing a deal to effectively implement the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) program.

It likewise provided the ARBOs a ready market for their farm produce. The 120-day feeding program will kick off within this month.

Under the agreement, the LGU will buy ingredients for the supplemental feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for day care children from the four identified ARBOs.

The four ARBOs are the Bulao Farmers Association, Canbagtic Farmers Association, Macaalan Farmers Association and the Panayuran Farmers Association, who are all into organic vegetable production.

Meanwhile, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) Eva Ranas disclosed to the ARBOs the monthly requirement for the daily feeding program.

The list include 48 kilos of tomatoes, 26 kilos sayote, 26 kilos kangkong, 33 kilos ampalaya, 18 kilos ginger, 67 kilos squash, 53 kilos sitaw, 93 kilos yellow papaya, 16 kilos green papaya and 26 kilos malunggay.

However, Rana explained to the farmers that the latter may deliver their products on a weekly basis.

She also assured the ARBOs that their products will be purchased at prevailing market price.

PAHP is a convergence strategy to integrate and strengthen development framework among national government agencies, LGUs and other stakeholders wherein complimentary human, physical and financial resources are efficiently and effectively deployed addressing critical concerns in hunger mitigation, food security and poverty reduction. (PNA)
RMA/SQM/DAR-PR