The Mauanan Baluncanag Gaddangao Farmers Irrigators Credit Cooperative (MBGFICC) as a thriving agrarian reform cooperative.

The Mauanan Baluncanag Gaddangao Farmers Irrigators Credit Cooperative (MBGFICC) is a thriving agrarian reform cooperative located in Purok 1, Baluncanag, Rizal, Cagayan, Philippines. Established in the mountainous region northwest of Tuguegarao City, MBGFICC has become a model of grassroots resilience and agricultural innovation.

Origins and Development

MBGFICC traces its roots to the 1980s when local rice farmers from the barangays of Mauanan, Baluncanag, and Gaddangao united to create the MABAGA Communal Irrigation System. This initiative aimed to ensure equitable water distribution for farming activities. In 2012, the group formalized as the MBG Farmers Irrigators Association and later registered with the Cooperative Development Authority in 2018 as MBGFICC. At the time of registration, the cooperative had 36 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and assets amounting to ₱36,000.

Membership and Services

Today, MBGFICC boasts 225 members, primarily ARBs engaged in rice and corn cultivation. The cooperative offers a range of services, including production loans, discounted farm machinery services, organic fertilizer production through vermicomposting, and the sale of farm inputs at competitive rates. Additionally, MBGFICC manages irrigation systems to ensure sustainable water distribution.

Government Support and Achievements

MBGFICC has received substantial support from various government agencies. In 2015, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provided ₱31 million under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Program for Small Water Impounding Systems. The cooperative also benefited from the Sustainable Livelihood Enterprise Program, receiving ₱250,000 in additional capital for small lending in the form of farm inputs. 

Despite challenges such as typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic, MBGFICC demonstrated resilience by adapting its loan-giving approach and improving financial capacity through seminars and training provided by DAR. This adaptability led to a positive credit standing with the Land Bank of the Philippines, resulting in the approval of short-term loans and the acquisition of farm machinery, including a four-wheel-drive tractor and a rice combine harvester under the DA-PhilMech program. 

The Mauanan Baluncanag Gaddangao Farmers Irrigators Credit Cooperative (MBGFICC) in Rizal, Cagayan, has also been recognized as a Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). In 2022, the cooperative expanded its facilities by acquiring an additional 600 square meters of land specifically intended for the Farm Business School, aligning with its role as a beneficiary of the Agrarian Learning Site for Agriculture program.

As an LSA, MBGFICC serves as a model for sustainable farming practices, offering hands-on training and knowledge sharing to fellow farmers and community members. The cooperative's initiatives include organic fertilizer production through vermicomposting, efficient irrigation management, and the utilization of modern farm machinery. These efforts contribute to the empowerment of local farmers and the promotion of innovative agricultural techniques in the region.

Community Impact and Vision

MBGFICC has significantly contributed to the local economy by creating employment opportunities and supporting members in achieving financial stability. The cooperative's core values—Makers of dreams, Benevolence, God's loving members, Focus on one dream, Inspiring attitudes, Commitment to uplift lives, and Cooperation—guide its mission to uplift people's lives through accessible financial services, encapsulated in its motto, "No Farmers Left Behind."

MBG Farmers Irrigators Cooperative: From Agrarian Reform Beneficiary to Accredited Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA)

CAGAYAN VALLEY, PHILIPPINES — In a remarkable journey from tilling the land to transforming it into a center of learning, the MBG Farmers Irrigators Cooperative, an agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) in Region II, has earned its distinction as an accredited Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) under the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI).

From Land to Learning

Formed by a group of dedicated farmer-beneficiaries under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), MBG Farmers Irrigators Cooperative has long been a vital force in the rural economy of its community. With strong roots in rice farming and irrigation management, the cooperative was originally organized to empower farmers through land ownership and collective productivity.

Today, it stands as more than just a farmers’ cooperative—it is a beacon of innovation and shared knowledge, recognized officially as an LSA, where it hosts learning sessions, field demonstrations, and technical trainings for farmers, youth, agricultural extension workers, and other stakeholders in the agri-fishery sector.

Building Capacity Through Agriculture

The LSA program, spearheaded by the DA-ATI, aims to recognize and support farmer-led farms that showcase effective, sustainable, and innovative farming practices. The MBG cooperative fits this mold perfectly. Its members have adopted diversified and climate-resilient farming systems that include:

• Palay production using water-efficient irrigation systems

• Integrated rice-fish farming

• Vermicomposting and organic fertilizer production

• Use of farm machinery for postharvest processing

As an LSA, MBG now serves as a hands-on learning venue where trainees can engage directly with actual farming processes—from land preparation and crop production to marketing and cooperative management.

Agrarian Reform in Action

The MBG Farmers Irrigators Cooperative’s recognition as an LSA also underscores the success of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s support services, particularly in ARBO development and sustainability. With the backing of DAR and its partnership with DA-ATI, cooperatives like MBG are not only increasing farm productivity but also fostering a new generation of farmer-leaders and agri-entrepreneurs.

Empowering Rural Communities

For members of the cooperative and the broader community, the impact has been transformative. Local farmers now have access to technical training without the need to travel far, while young people are being drawn back to agriculture through MBG’s inclusive, community-based learning approach.

“Our farm is not just a source of livelihood—it is a classroom, a laboratory, and a place of hope,” says [Cooperative Chairperson/Manager], highlighting the importance of farmer-led learning in rural development.

The Road Ahead

As MBG Farmers Irrigators Cooperative continues to grow in its dual role as a productive ARBO and a Learning Site for Agriculture, it envisions further innovation, partnerships, and youth engagement. Plans are underway to expand its demonstration areas, host more specialized trainings, and serve as a model for other ARBOs aspiring to become LSAs.

Its success story is a testament to what can happen when agrarian reform, cooperative empowerment, and agricultural education converge, building not only better farms but stronger, self-sustaining communities.

Agrarian Reform: Poverty incidence decreased through the Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Strategy

A Study was conducted and it showed among others that the the Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) approach to rural development is an effective strategy to fight poverty in the countryside. The study is part of the second round of CARP impact assessment studies commissioned by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). It aimed to assess the impact and gains of the program and to recommend policies, mechanisms or changes to enhance program implementation, particularly for the remaining balances in land acquisition and distribution and in expanding the reach and impact of the Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) strategy. 

The study mainly used official government databases of census and surveys of the National Statistics Office (NSO), the ARC database of the Bureau of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development (BARBD) of DAR, and other administrative data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB). These databases were merged with the data on the 2006 Masterlist of the Agrarian Reform Communities, matched and analyzed. 

A rapid appraisal of five provinces was also done to examine the impact of government interventions on land markets and economic activities related to land (i.e., credit, capital accumulation, and land productivity). Results of the study show that it is the combination of possessing the land, being located in an ARC, and being in an ARC that increases a farmer household’s income and expenditure per capita and make them less likely to be poor. 

Within an ARC, there is no significant difference between ARBs and non-ARBs, thus demonstrating that returns to land ownership is significantly improved with the provision of support services. 

Furthermore, ARBs do better than non-ARBs in ARCs but both ARBs and non-ARBs in non-ARCs would have the same probability of being non-poor and they do worse than the respondents in ARCs. The benefit-cost analysis of the ARC strategy yielded a positive net present value showing that the benefits reaped from the ARC support services outweigh the cost of financing such services.  

Through the ARC strategy, poverty incidence decreased from 39.8% to 24.2% over the period 1990 and 2000. This reduction is slightly higher than that experienced by those in the non-ARC barangays, i.e., from 39.0% to 24.8% for the same period.

SOURCE: Balisacan, Arsenio, M. et al.  Study on the Impact of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on Poverty Reduction and Prospects for Long-Term Growth.  Asia-Pacific Policy Center, Diliman, Quezon City. October 2007.  PUBLISHED BY: Economic and Socio-Cultural Research Division

 Policy and Strategic Research Service, DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM 

DAR-Cagayan Valley turns over rehabilitated Garab CIS

The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office-Cagayan (DARPO-Cagayan) recently turned over an irrigation project in Garab, Iguig, Cagayan a component barangay of the Eastern Iguig Agrarian Reform Community (Eastern Iguig ARC).

The Rehabilitation of Garab Communal Irrigation System (CIS) Project involves the restoration of the concrete hallow block (CHB) canal linings and canal structures.  It has an original length of 3,000 linear meters with a total project cost of Php7,948,900.17 funded under DAR-Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project Phase III (ARISP-Phase III). The project was started in July 12, 2013 and completed last November 16, 2013. The rehabilitation of the Garab communal irrigation system was implemented by the National Irrigation Administration.

Communal irrigation systems  are small-scale schemes and constructed with the participation of  the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) thru their Irrigators Association (IA). The operation and maintenance of CIS is turned over to IAs upon project completion subject to a cost recovery arrangement in order for the IA to be able to sustain the operation and maintenance of  the irrigation system.

The communal irrigation system will benefit the agrarian reform beneficiaries through increased rice production in the barangays covered by the project, that is, barangays Garab and Campo in the municipality of Iguig. Eastern Iguig ARC has a population of 2,485 consisting of 590 households. Around 465.2782 hectares of agricultural land have been redistributed to 378 agrarian reform beneficiaries in the ARC pursuant to Operation Land Transfer (PD No. 27) and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Historically, irrigation has been established as a major factor in increasing rice productivity in the Philippines. It raises the productivity of farmlands by providing sufficient water supply to raise the yield per hectare per crop. It also provides opportunities  for farmers to plant a second crop during the dry season when production is potentially higher.

Irrigation also makes  it possible to increase the yield by allowing the adoption of modem rice varieties and fertilizer use. As such, farmer-beneficiaries in the Eastern Iguig Agrarian Reform Community are expecting to harvest a minimum of two cropping seasons a year to doubling their traditional income.  /christiandsales

Rehabilitated Farm-to-market road boosts income of ARBs

Buguey, Cagayan – Officials from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) led by Atty. Marjorie P. Ayson, Regional Director (DAR Region 02) has turned over in favor of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Buguey, led by OIC-Mayor Roderick Antiporda, among others, and the barangay officials of Tabbac, Buguey, Cagayan,  the responsibility for the utilization and maintenance of the rehabilitated and improved farm-to-market road during a turn-over ceremony held on March 19, 2013 at barangay Tabbac in Buguey, Cagayan province. Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 02 also attended the turn-over ceremony. 

The project involved the rehabilitation and improvement of the Tabbac Proper – Junction National Road (JNR) – Sitio San Francisco Road at Sta. Isabel Agrarian Reform Community (Sta. Isabel ARC), Buguey, Cagayan. The farm-to-market road has a length of 4.078 kilometers at a project cost of P7,297,746.21 and funded by the Department of Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project III (DAR-ARISP3).

According to the barangays officials, the farm-to-market road project has significantly improved the quality of life of farmers in the area as they can now transport or load on their kuliglig (hand tractor with trailer) around 20 cavans of palay instead of the usual 7 cavans only before the FMR project was implemented. They can now also have more frequent trips to the market to sell their produce, such as vegetables and watermelon, among others. But the most significant improvement in the lives of ARBs is the fact that the number of traders have increased because of the new access to the farms/products in the community resulting to higher selling prices of farm produce by the farmers as they are now able to choose which trader offers the higher buying price. Additionally, the cost of hauling has been reduced by at least 30%, increasing the savings in favor of the ARBs. The completed FMR now also serves as an alternative route from the town proper to the Lallo International Airport in nearby town of Lallo, Cagayan.

The rehabilitation and improvement of the Tabbac Proper – Junction National Road (JNR) – Sitio San Francisco Road at Sta. Isabel Agrarian Reform Community (Sta. Isabel ARC), Buguey, Cagayan seeks to boost the productivity and income of agrarian reform beneficiaries and the members of their household who have been burdened with excessive fare and hauling costs of farm produce due to poor road condition. /cds

DAR turns over Php15M road to LGU-Iguig

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR-Region 02) turned over the concreted farm-to-market (FMR) road in favor of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Iguig, Cagayan on October 4, 2012. The project costs P15,400,643.22 funded by DAR-Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (DAR-ARISP), Phase III.

Ribbon cutting: L-R: Hon. Juditas Trinidad, DAR Regional Director Atty. Marjorie Ayson-Alzate, PARO Gil Acasili and DAR ASEC  Jose Z. Grajeda. 

The DAR-ARISP III project is funded jointly by the Government of the Philippines through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It involves a tripartite approach, a collaboration among the implementing agencies. It involves construction/rehabilitation of rural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, farm-to-market roads, post harvest facilities, and rural water supply systems, agrarian reform information and marketing center building, development of coop-managed agri-business/rural enterprise/livelihood farmers’ organizations in the Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) through appropriate training and capacity building approaches.

The P15 million farm-to-market road (4.5 kms.) at Eastern Iguig Agrarian Reform Community. 

The 4.536-kilometer Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) traverses the barangays/villages of Minanga Sur, Sta. Barbara and San Esteban, which are also the component barangays of EASTERN IGUIG AGRARIAN REFORM COMMUNITY (Eastern Iguig ARC). An Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) is a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of contiguous barangays where there is a critical mass of farmers and farm workers awaiting the full implementation of agrarian reform. The farmers and the farm workers will anchor the integrated development of the area.

MARO Arthur Urata (speaking) and DF Edgar Cordova facilitated the realiztion of this DAR-ARISP project.  

The project was facilitated mainly by the DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer, MARO Arthur Urata, presently assigned at DAR Municipal Office at Iguig, Cagayan and Edgar Cordova, the Development Facilitator (DF) at DARMO-Iguig. The project was strongly supported by the Local Government of Iguig led by the Mayor Hon. Juditas Trinidad and the Vice-Mayor, Hon. Ferdinand Trinidad as head of the Municipal Council.

Iguig town mayor, Hon. Juditas Trinidad

In the province of Cagayan, Farm-to-Market Roads are some of the support services being implemented under the agrarian reform program which traditionally serves to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns, such as Tuguegarao City, where the major markets and distribution centers are located.

DAR Regional Director Atty. Marjorie Ayson-Alzate,

          The concrete farm-to-market road will provide the community with an all-weather barangay road and will also significantly help reduce the farmers’ costs of transporting their goods and reduce the travel time to the market and trading centers.

DAR ASEC Jose Z. Grajeda.

Project beneficiaries and stakeholders. 

The turn-over ceremony was attended by no less than DAR ASEC. Jose Z. Grajeda, DAR Regional Director, Atty. Marjorie Ayson-Alzate, PARO Virgilio Acasili, Mayor Juditas Trinidad, Vice-Mayor Ferdinand Trinidad, other public officials, members of the media, farmer-beneficiaries and other stakeholders. The event was facilitated by MARO Arthur Urata. cds/mtb
More PHOTOS: 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.366040386804510.86694.100001956556263&type=3

Eastern Iguig ARC Water Supply System Completed

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has completed the construction and is ready to turn-over a Potable  Water Supply System (Level II) project at barangay Sta. Barbara, a component barangay of Eastern Iguig Agrarian Reform Community (Eastern Iguig ARC) in Iguig, Cagayan.

The Eastern Iguig ARC  Potable Water Supply project was funded by the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Project III (ARISP-III)-Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Iguig, Cagayan with a total project cost of P3,707,530.73 and is expected to benefit some 647 agrarian reform beneficiary households.

The potable water system in the ARC will significantly decrease the incidence of water-borne diseases among school children. It will also provide water for vegetable gardening activities and opportunities for rural enterprises among farming households in the area resulting to increase in income. cds/mtb

Php15M Farm-to-Market Road Completed in Iguig, Cagayan

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is scheduled to turn-over sometime in July 2012 in favor of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Iguig in Cagayan province a 4.536-kilometer Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) traversing the barangays/villages of Minanga Sur, Sta. Barbara and San Esteban, which are also the component barangays of EASTERN IGUIG AGRARIAN REFORM COMMUNITY (Eastern Iguig ARC).

An Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) is a barangay at the minimum or a cluster of contiguous barangays where there is a critical mass of farmers and farm workers awaiting the full implementation of agrarian reform. The farmers and the farm workers will anchor the integrated development of the area.

Farm-to-Market Roads are some of the support services being implemented under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which traditionally serves to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns. In this case, from Eastern Iguig ARC to Tuguegarao City, where the major markets and distribution centers are located.

The concrete farm-to-market road will provide the agrarian farmer-beneficiaries, the members of their households  and the community in general with an all-weather barangay road and will also significantly help reduce the farmers’ costs of transporting their goods as well as their travel time to the market and trading centers, also, it will substantially increase their income due to savings from transport costs, lesser damage/spoilage to their goods, etc.

There are approximately 1,083 households who will benefit from the project at a cost of P15,498,684.90 funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Project-III (ARISP-III), Local Government Unit of Iguig (LGU-Iguig) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

The completion of the concrete farm-to-market road will not only improve the living conditions of the people in Eastern Iguig ARC and its neighboring barangays/villages but it will also open more opportunities for economic development of the area. cds/mtb