Stronger Than the Storm: Cagayan’s ARBOs Rebuild Through DAR’s Climate-Resilient Support

Super Typhoon Nando (Ragasa) is a tropical that attained super typhoon status on September 21, 2025, according to reports from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the country’s meteorological agency. Ragasa was the world’s strongest tropical cyclone of 2025. The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 134 miles (215 km) per hour, had peak wind gusts of more than 180 miles (295 km) per hour, and reached a minimum central pressure of approximately 910 hectopascals on September 22, 2025.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), upon receipt of reports on the devastation resulting from the onslaught of Super Typhoon Nando (Ragasa) in Cagayan province, has promptly extended nearly ₱1.4 million worth of additional livelihood assistance to disaster-affected agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan under its Climate Resilient FarmProductivity Support (CRFPS) program, aimed at helping ARBs and ARBOs restore operations and strengthen their farm inputs enterprises for more sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods.

The DAR’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) program, through its Sustainable Livelihood Support (SLS) component, aims to help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and their organizations recover and rebuild after disasters. By providing farm inputs, tools, and machinery, the program enables ARBOs to restore productivity, lower production costs, and strengthen resilience against the impacts of typhoons and floods. The SLS initiative reflects DAR’s commitment to empowering farmers and revitalizing agrarian communities through sustainable and climate-adaptive livelihood support.

After the onslaught of Super Typhoon Nando (Ragasa), thousands of farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across Cagayan province suffered severe damage to their crops and livelihoods. The powerful typhoon brought strong winds and torrential rains, destroying rice, corn, and vegetable farms. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), agricultural losses in the Cagayan Valley region totaled approximately ₱ 597 million. In Cagayan alone, over 11,000 hectares of rice lands were affected, alongside significant losses in corn and high-value crops.

In response, the government quickly mobilized relief and rehabilitation assistance for affected farmers and farming communities. The Department of Agriculture, through its regional field office, distributed rice and corn seeds, assorted vegetable seeds, and fertilizers to help farmers replant and recover. The DA also rolled out its loan programs, which offers zero-interest loans to help farmers rebuild their livelihoods. Insured farmers, including many ARBs, are also being compensated through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) for crop losses incurred during the typhoon.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the distribution of financial aid and farm inputs to affected farmers in the municipalities of Gonzaga and Sta. Ana (including Calayan, being the most affected), where thousands of families each received ₱10,000 in cash assistance from the Department of SocialWelfare and Development (DSWD). Family food packs, shelter materials, and relief goods were also delivered to sustain affected households while they recover from the disaster.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) continues to coordinate with the DA and local governments to ensure that ARBs are prioritized in rehabilitation efforts. Through loan programs like E-ARISE-ARBs and AFFORD ARB, DAR aims to restore farm productivity, provide access to credit, and rebuild damaged agrarian reform communities. The agency is also assisting insured ARBs in processing their PCIC indemnification claims and linking cooperatives to post-disaster livelihood support.

Despite the widespread destruction, the DAR and other government agencies' rapid relief operations and early recovery programs reflect a strong commitment to helping Cagayan’s farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries recover their livelihoods and rebuild stronger, more resilient farming communities in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Nando.

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."

Farm Machinery and Equipment Turned Over by DAR-Cagayan to Five ARBOs

TUGUEGARAO CITY, CAGAYAN — In response to the growing challenges brought by climate change in the agricultural sector, the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office (DARPO) Cagayan has distributed approximately ₱1.2 million worth of farm machinery and equipment to five Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs) across the province.

The official turnover ceremony was held on June 23, 2025 at the DARPO Cagayan Compound in Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City. The event was led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II Val Cristobal, PARPO I Glenn A. Follante, and OIC-CARPO for Program Beneficiaries Development Division Christian Sales, together with other DARPO officials and personnel. Representatives and members of the recipient ARBOs also participated in the ceremony.

The five recipient ARBOs are:

• Lizardo Agrarian Reform Cooperative of Lucban, Abulug

• MSRT Culung Credit Cooperative of Culung, Tuao

• Dafunganay Agrarian Reform Cooperative of Dafunganay, Amulung

• Paddaya Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative of Paddaya, Aparri

• Logac Farmers Agriculture Cooperative of Logac, Lallo

A total of approximately 260 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) are expected to directly benefit from the distributed machinery and tools.

The agricultural equipment turned over includes:

• Four hand tractors with trailers

• One floating tiller

• One compact tiller rotavator

• Seven brush cutters with rice harvester attachments

• Eleven knapsack sprayers

• Thirteen pressure washers

• One rice transplanter

• Seven water pumps

In their messages, the DAR officials emphasized that the farm machinery granted to the cooperatives represents the fulfillment of a long-time dream of many ARBs. They encouraged the ARBOs to treat the equipment as their own—to care for, maintain, and maximize their use so that more members can benefit over a longer period.

This initiative forms part of the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) Program of DAR, which aims to strengthen the capacity of agrarian reform communities to adapt to climate change by introducing innovative and efficient agricultural solutions.

Through this program, DAR-Cagayan hopes to reduce production costs, increase yields, and boost income among ARBs—paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable farming future in the province.

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