DAR allots P300-M to aid farmers during COVID19 pandemic

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has allotted PHP300 million to finance its ongoing project "The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move to Heal as One Deliverance of our ARBs from the Covid-19 Pandemic,” a project in response to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469, where the President Rodrigo Duterte directed all government agencies to provide, protect and promote the welfare of the people amid the COVID19 health crisis. Throughout the nation, there are thousands of CARP farmer-beneficiaries adversely affected by the COVID19 pandemic.

     Admittedly, the biggest and most important sector in the country affected by this crisis is the food service industry, the Philippines being a nation with a thriving agricultural backbone, the lockouts throughout Luzon (which later on expanded to some major provinces in Visayas and Mindanao) caused farmers and agricultural workers suddenly unable to produce, tend their farms, and market their products. It also resulted to laborers losing job opportunities resulting to massive loss of income.

     As the public were forced by the crisis to stay in their homes to protect themselves and their families, the local economy ground to a halt but expenses continue to pile up. Business establishments remain closed and some may never open up again. All of a sudden, the agri sector is experiencing the largest loss of income in human history due to the deadly and highly contagious COVID19 pandemic, putting a sudden stop to physical interactions and almost none on business transactions.

     According to DAR Secretary JohnR. Castriciones, the budget for the project will be taken from the realigned budget of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Program (ARBDSP) and unobligated allotment from the different units of the DAR Support Services Office (SSO). The project aims to give essential support to ARBs for them to be able to perform their roles in ensuring food sufficiency in the country.

     The project intends to provide immediate and essential support services to men and women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to mitigate the impact of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measures due to the pandemic and to address the demands affecting the agricultural sector even after the ECQ has been lifted or upon the start of the “new normal.”

The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project will provide enable the ARBs, individually and collectively, to continue performing their roles as frontliners in ensuring food sufficiency for the nation. DAR is assisting the farmers in the distribution and delivery of agri products by issuing quarantine passes so they could pass through checkpoints in critical areas under ECQ.

     The Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) will also be provided with farm inputs such as seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, and farm tools to enable them to resume planting crops for continuous food supply. It will cover 7,000 hectares nationwide with 90,839 individual ARBs to benefit from the project. ARB identification cards (ARB IDs) are also being issued and distributed under the PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project. The ID cards are being given to identify ARBs and facilitate their access to the government's social amelioration programs (SAPs). As of April 24, a total of 77,119 ARB IDs have been distributed by the DAR.

     The project will also extend its support to 1,200 women ARBs nationwide by providing them with livelihood activities, especially in food production such as egg and poultry production, hog fattening, and similar activities based on their preferences and capabilities to ensure they have food on their tables and products to sell.

    According to DAR SSO Undersecretary Atty. Emily Padilla, “the project will also provide packages containing supplemental food, hygiene products and vitamins to ARB households. Each package will contain 4 kilos of rice, 4 canned sardines, 4 packs instant noodles, 2 pieces bath soap, 10 pieces face masks and a bottle of 50 pieces vitamin C. A total of 126,565 qualified ARBs will benefit from these packages. “Helping our ARBs will ensure that their agricultural production, livelihood and income will continue during this health crisis. It will also ensure sustained supply of adequate, affordable and safe food necessary for Filipino consumers even upon the 'new normal' will be implemented,"

     Meantime, in Cagayan province, the DAR Provincial Office personnel are presently going around different municipalities distributing initially the relief packs for agrarian reform farmer-beneficiaries, to be followed immediately with the distribution of farm inputs and livelihood kits, to help farmers get on and move on to the new normal. (Photos by: Mimi Atal-Mora)
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DAR-World Bank Project SPLIT to facilitate subdivision of collective to individual CLOAs for agrarian reform beneficiaries

Support to Parcelization of Lands to Individual Title (SPLIT), is a project that seeks to give farmer-beneficiaries covered under collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (cCLOA), the opportunity to have and own individual titles as evidence of ownership to the farmlot/s awarded to them under the agrarian reform program.

The recently approved Department of Agrarian Reform-World Bank (DAR-WB) SPLIT project is a loan package amounting to Php24 Billion which shall be used to subdivide the cCLOAs - about 1.38 million hectares, into individual land titles so that the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) may fully exercise their rights of ownership and possession over their landholding/s.

The issuance of CCLOAs has repercussion to the government as it could not collect taxes and amortization. The same can be said to many beneficiaries who are not engaged in collective farming. All these issues can be cured once these cCLOAs are split into individual titles, he said.

The project SPLIT also includes the acquisition for the DAR Provincial offices involved, of survey and other related equipment for the subdivision of each farm lot, four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles for the mobilization of DAR survey teams, including hiring of additional manpower. It also requires capability trainings due to advances in technology, such as on the use of new software/computer programs like the AutoCAD Google Earth (AGE) Mapping which is useful for the subdivision of individual land titles as it requires computing technical descriptions, conversion of coordinates, transporting KMZ files (used by Google Earth) to Andriod phones among others.

The DAR-WB SPLIT project is in response to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s order to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to conduct the survey and re-documentation of collective land titles to individual certificates of landownership awards (CLOAs). President Rodrigo R. Duterte requested the assistance of the World Bank in order to expedite the process of subdividing the lands covered by collective agrarian reform land titles. 

Cagayan PARCCOM-PCIT to accelerate CARP implementation and monitor flagship projects

      The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes kick started the year with a joint Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee (PARCCOM) and Provincial CARP Implementing Team (PCIT) meeting on January 26, 2018 in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan wherein the representatives of the member-agencies presented their agency thrusts in so far as CARP implementation is concerned.

     The National Irrigation Adminstration (NIA) reported on current irrigation projects in Cagayan and on the P2.696-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, an electric motor pump driven irrigation which will service 8,700 hectares of agricultural land benefitting 4,350 farmers in 21 barangays in Cagayan, Kalinga and Apayao. The project is expected to provide an incremental net income of up to P42,273 per hectare a year from the farmers’ previous P28, 952 per hectare annual income without the irrigation. It will be able to provide around 7,580 jobs during the implementation period and around 8,700 people will have permanent jobs when completed and becomes operation in three years. 
      The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) introduced new technologies on fertilizer production made from carrageenan, a substance extracted from red and purple seaweeds abundant along the coastal town in Cagayan province, consisting of a mixture of polysaccharides. It is traditionally used as a thickening or emulsifying agent in food products. Carrageenan as a growth enhancer offers an array of benefits that result in improved productivity. When used properly, it makes the rice stem stronger improving rice resistance to logging. It becomes resistant to rice ‘tungro’ virus and bacterial leaf blight resulting to increased harvest by farmers. 
      The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also presented the various ongoing activities for promotion and marketing of agrarian reform beneficiaries’ products the Shared Service Faciities (SSF) being distributed to qualified farmers' organizations. 
       The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Register of Deeds (ROD) also reported on their activities for the acquisition and distribution of lands covered by CARP, among many others. One highlight of the meeting is the joint efforts of the member-agencies which resulted to the resolution of specific legal and factual issues facilitating the acquisition of the hundreds of hectares of farmlands located in the Solana-Piat boundary. Other equally important issues and concerns on CARP implementation were likewise resolved during the meeting.      Representatives from KilusangPagbabago,  namely, Mr. Nathaniel Gumangan, Public Relations Officer, KP-Cagayan Valley and Mr. Napoleon Baltazar, Program Director, KP-Cagayan Valley also briefly discussed Malacanang Executive Order No. 9, Series of 2016 regarding the mandate to promote Participatory Governance as a way of empowering the agrarian reform beneficiaries and other farmers among others. In addition, the role of the Kilusang Pagbabago in monitoring government programs and projects was also emphasized. 

    The Joint PARCCOM-PCIT is pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 406 that mandates certain departments and agencies to review, evaluate and align their programs and projects in order to integrate them into the major thrusts of the CARP.  EO No. 406 also directs the DAR to accelerate the agrarian reform beneficiaries' development through the provision of economic and social infrastructure support.

      The PCIT is composed of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation andCommunication, Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Trade and Industry, LandBank of the Philippines and Land Registration Authority.

      Section 44 and Section 45 of RA 6657 mandated the creation of a Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee (PARCCOM) in each province, composed of a Chairman, who shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the EXCOM, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer as Executive Officer, and one representative each from the Departments of Agriculture, and of Environment and Natural Resources and from the LBP, one representative each from existing farmers’ organizations, agricultural cooperatives and non-governmental organizations in the province; two representatives from landowners, at least one of whom shall be a producer representing the principal crop of the province, and two representatives from farmer and farmworker-beneficiaries, at least one of whom shall be a farmer or farmworker representing the principal crop of the province, as members: provided, that in areas where there are cultural communities, the latter shall likewise have one representative.

      The PARCCOM shall coordinate and monitor the implementation of the CARP in the province. It shall provide information on the provisions of the CARP, guidelines issued by the PARC and on the progress of the CARP in the province.

      The PARCCOM is the provincial counterpart of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) Executive Committee (ExCom) and the partners of the PARC Secretariat. The PARC is the highest policy-making body in implementing agrarian reform laws. The PARCOMM are tasked with the coordination and monitoring of the programs and activities implemented by the agrarian reform program implementing agencies at the field level.

DARPO Cagayan-Batanes PARO II Engr. Arthur Faeldon addressing the members of the PARCCOM-PCIT.

DENR-PENRO reporting on their agency's thrusts and programs under CARP.

Open forum on the member-agencies 2018 thrusts and programs

The Register of Deeds addressing issues pertaining to registration of land titles and deeds.

Representatives from the Kilusang Pagbabago-Cagayan Valley discussed matters on Participatory Governance.

Activities in the Cooperative Sector were presented with more requests for support services facilities being considered. 

New technology on the production of Carrageenan based soil enhancer by DENR

Presentation on the concerns of private sector representatives

DAR builds Solar Pump Irrigation System in ARCs in Cagayan province

The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes) has provided funds thru its DAR Central Office, for the construction of the initial three (3) solar pump irrigation system in Cagayan province with technology provided by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soil and Water Management (DA-BSWM). The project costs approximately P877,500.00 per site.

The Solar Pump Irrigation System project will provide solar panels and control accessories that will generate solar energy. Submersible water pumps will draw water from an underground source into concrete water tanks as storage,  and the water from the storage tank shall flow into the vegetable farms through pipes. 

The three pilot sites for the solar pump irrigation systems are located in Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), specfically: (1) San Esteban Farmers Cooperative in the Eastern Alcala Agrarian Reform Community (Eastern Alcala ARC) in the municipality of Alcala; (2) Lasvinag Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the Lasvinag Agrarian Reform Community (Lasvinag ARC) in the municipality of Gattaran; and (3) Nabbotuan Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the Furaban Agrarian Reform Community (Furaban ARC) in the municipality of Solana. 

On December 18, 2017, an Operation and Maintenance Seminar was conducted to prepare the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBO) members to be able to properly operate and maintain the facilities with a site visit to familiarize the participants with the system.

The Solar Pump Irrigation System resolves the vegetable farmers’ water supply challenges specially with today’s devastating effects of climate change. When operational, they can utilize the systems to provide water to irrigate their vegetable farms, household water supply, livestock raising, etc. The construction of solar pump irrigation systems in the pilot sites are expected to be completed by the end of January 2018 and will be turned over to the ARBO immediately after completion.  

Solar panels provide energy to run the water pumps in vegetable farms with no access to electricity. 

A training on the operation and maintenance was conducted for the recipient-operators of the project. 

Members of the three ARBO-recipients of the project in Cagayan undergo training on operation and maintenance. 

Unlimited water for vegetable farmers through the solar pump (submersible) irrigation system. 

 

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LINK: DAR-World Bank Inclusive Partnership for AgriculturalCompetitiveness (IPAC) project.

DAR grants Nabbotuan MPC Php257k for Muscovado sugar processing

     The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office (DARPO) of Cagayan-Batanes led the ground breaking ceremony of the Nabbotuan Multi-Purpose Cooperative in barangay Nabbotuan, Solana, Cagayan wherein the later is a recipient of Two Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand and Five Hundred pesos as funding for the construction/expansion of their Muscovado Sugar processing center under the DAR’s Village Level Processing Center and Enhancement Project (VLPCEP).

     The ceremony was also attended by the very supportive officials of the Local Government Unit of Solana headed by Mayor Jenalyn Carag. Barangay officials of Nabbotuan also warmly welcomed the project as an indication of increasing capacity of women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth processes in ways that recognise the value of their contributions, respect their dignity and making it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth vis-à-vis their local economy.

     Nabbotuan MPC is an agrarian reform organization (ARBO) within the FURABAN Agrarian Reform Community. The Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Development Strategy was adopted in 1993 to focus on priority agrarian reform areas to maximize resource allocation, complementation, and mobilization for greater efficiency and impact taking into consideration the limited financial and material resources of the government.

      An ARC is a barangay or cluster of contiguous barangays within a municipality where majority of the CARP-covered lands have been awarded to a critical mass of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).  The ARC strategy applies the integrated area development approach where the ARBs and their communities are the primary focal points of development interventions.

     Once completed, the processing center shall help increase the livelihood of the members of the cooperative.  They will process raw sugar into Muscovado sugar which commands a higher price due to its higher demand by reason of its health benefits.

     Muscovado sugar is the unrefined dark brown sugar that is more sticky and courser than the regular brown sugar. It is the instantaneous sugar created in crystallizing sugarcane juice. In contrast with other sugars, Muscovado sugar has a distinctive flavor and taste that retains the natural flavor and color of the sugarcane juice, as such it is also considered as the purest form of sugar. It also retains the natural nutrients such as calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, iron, zinc and other vitamins. It is also rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants, proteins, fiber, etc., with are usually destroyed by filtering, bleaching and heating during the production of the regular refined white sugar.

     The VLPCEP aims to develop market competitive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) products and enhance enterprise and livelihood activities at the community level in selected agrarian reform areas through assistance in product value-adding, improvement of facilities, and assistance in documentation and Food and Drug Administration license application. The implementation of the project is part of the mandate of DAR to provide support services to ARCs.

     Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed between the DAR and the ARBO, the members of the cooperative shall manage and maintain the processing center, keep and maintain the recording system for the activity, and shall ensure the continuous production of Muscovado sugar as an additional business enterprise of the cooperative.  

See: photos on Facebook

CABAYABASAN ARB COOP COOKS WITH FREE UNLI METHANE GAS

Another agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO), that is, Cabayabasan Farmers Credit Cooperative in the Nueva Segovia Agrarian Reform Community in Lallo, Cagayan province is now enjoying the benefits of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s CPWASH project.

Methane is an important natural gas commonly used for fuel and electricity generation. 

A CPWASH is a potable water project implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) which stands for Community-Managed Potable Water Supply and Hygiene project. It is a regular project being undertaken by DAR to install low-cost water supply technology and sanitation systems that provides safe, clean and potable water for the agrarian reform beneficiary households in Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs).

The first chamber of the bio-gas digester.

A CPWASH project is composed of four sub-projects, that is: (1) the rain water collector to hoard and store rainwater to be recycled before it reaches the aquifer; (2) the bio-sand filter to remove pathogens and suspended particles and reduce discoloration, odor and unpleasant taste; (3) the iron removal filter, to filter iron from the water to eliminate staining, the unpleasant smell and taste of the water; and (4) the bio-gas digester to convert organic waste into usable fuel. Funds for the projects are sourced from DAR and some counterpart from the LGU and the proponent cooperative/ARBO.

The second chamber of the bio-gas digester under construction. 

Unlimited bio-gas fuel for cooking is now available for the beneficiaries through the methane from the bio-gas digester. The raw materials for methane production comes from the animal waste of swine raised by the ARBs. As such, significantly large costs for cooking fuel is saved by ARBs. The ARB households have also stopped the traditional use of firewood as fuel for cooking in the community. The output from the digester (digested waste) can also be used as a high quality organic liquid fertilizer which can be sold for farmers at a much lower price than commercial fertilizers.

The second chamber being attached to the first chamber bio-gas digester which is later cemented. 

Farmers who have completed the CPWASH hands-on training will also be given Certificates of Training as Para-Engineers and can be summoned to build other CPWASH facility on other sites, which is another business opportunity for them or their cooperatives. 

The completed and installed operational bio-gas digester already producing methane gas fuel.

Installing the water filters.  Photos courtesy of Engr. Domingo Garello

Inspecting the Bio-gas facility, now the source of unlimited earth-friendly fuel gas for cooking.

Trying out the improvised gas burner. 

Turn-over by DARPO Cagayan to LGU Lallo of Kabayabas CPWASH Project. 

Inspecting the potable water after passing through the Iron Removal Filter. 

Photos courtesy of: Engr. Domingo Garello, Ms. Emely Salvatierra and Ms. Issandra Miguel

Flying fish processing center rises via VLPCEP center

Itbud, Uyugan,Batanes – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently launched the Village Level Processing Center Enhancement Project (VLPCEP) for the Milagrosa Multi-Purpose Cooperative, an agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) cooperative engaged in the processing of flying fish into bottled Spanish sardines.

Milagrosa MPC received a grant from the DAR amounting to P180,000.00 for the construction their fish processing center consisting of a 3.33m X 5.0m corrugated GI sheet building under the VLPCEP. The VLPCEP project is designed primarily to enhance the existing processing center with development support initiative for ARB cooperatives and other ARB organizations (ARBO), improve their capability to produce quality processed products that are highly competitive in the mainstream market including services to its members.

Further, it helps develop market- competitive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (ARBO) products through product development (e.g., labelling, packaging designs, etc.) and enrich enterprise and livelihood activities at the community level in the selected agrarian reform areas. The VLPCEP is also intended to develop homegrown products for better opportunities and linkage to potential markets.

Aside from processing flying fish into bottled Spanish sardines, the Milagrosa MPC also processes one-day old flying fish, a popular delicacy only found in Batanes, so called because the flying fish is set to dry for one day on hot stones under the sun. Also, they process the flying fish into fish balls and fish lumpia.

DAR will continue to provide capability building and skills enhancement including monitoring to sustain the project. It has also coordinated with other CARP implementing agencies such as the: Bureau of Food and Drugs for quality assurance and for Milagrosa MPC to be duly registered with BFAD and avail a license; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will also conduct trainings for cooperators and assists in the marketing aspect. Other agencies such as DOLE and DOST are likewise involved in the project. 

Links: 

Milagrosa MPC Fish Processing Center

Batanes "Dibang" one-day old flying fish

Famous Food Delicacies in Batanes

Ivatan ARBs resort to rainwater harvesting for veggie farms

The members of the San Joaquin Agrarian ReformBeneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (San Joaquin ARB-MPC) in barangay San Antonio, Basco, Batanes have found a way to harvest and store rainwater to supply the much needed fresh water for their vegetable farms during periods where water supply is scarce such as droughts and during months of insufficient rainfall in the typhoon path island province of Batanes in northern Philippines. The situation is further complicated as the available land for these vegetable farms are also located right beside the shores of the great Pacific Ocean.

The San Joaquin ARB-MPC is an agrarian reform beneficiary organization located within the San Antonio Agrarian Reform Community (San Antonio ARC). An 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.

Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater for household water use, additionally, water for livestock and small irrigation. Also, it is a means to replenish groundwater levels. The common mode of rainwater harvesting is through rooftop rainwater harvesting projects. This activity addresses issues of ground water depletion brought about in part by global warming. There are reasons for ground water depletion such as: (1) Increasing demand of ground water; (2) Extracting more than recharge; (3) Reduction of recharge area due to infrastructure, road asphalting/concreting, (4) Shrinking surface water bodies; and (5) Uncertain rainfall due to climate change.

For centuries the town of Venice depended on rainwater harvesting because the lagoon surrounding Venice is made of brackish water which is not suitable for human drinking. The ancient residents of Venice developed a system of rainwater collection in order to have water to drink. As Venice acquired territories on the mainland, it started to import water by boat from local rivers.

At present, rainwater harvesting is being practiced around the world to counter the effects of climate change and has been adopted and intensified in other countries such as in Bermuda, where they have a law that requires all new construction to include rainwater harvesting adequate for the residents. The U.S. Virgin Islands also have a similar law. In Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, there are houses that are frequently equipped with homemade rainwater harvesters. In Myanmar, the groundwater is saline and communities rely on mud-lined rainwater ponds to meet their drinking water needs throughout the dry season. Some of these ponds are centuries old and are treated with great reverence and respect. In New Mexico, rainwater catchment is mandatory for new dwellings in Santa Fe. In the USA, Texas offers a sales tax exemption on the purchase of rainwater harvesting equipment. Oklahoma passed a law in 2012, to promote pilot projects for rainwater use among other water saving techniques. In Beijing, some housing societies are now adding rainwater in their main water sources after proper treatment (source: Wikipedia). 

The rainwater harvesting facility operated by the San Joaquin Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (San Joaquin ARB-MPC) in barangay San Antonio, Basco, Batanes was constructed through the initiative of the Local Government Unit (LGU) under the Bottom-Up Budgeting/Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (BUB-GPB) program with a cost of P1.9 million. It has provided the agrarian reform beneficiaries an opportunity to make the land productive and consequently increased their income. 

The rainwater harvesting facility helps mitigate the devastating effects of climate change and provides some relief for agrarian reform beneficiaries engaged in organic vegetable production. 

DAR Region 02 Regional Director Homer P. Tobias, CESO III, climbing to the roof to inspect the rainwater harvesting facility of the San Joaquin ARB-MPC. 

Rainwater collects on the roof and is stored in these tanks for future use. 

Freshwater always made available through the rainwater harvesting facility for vegetable farms like these situated along the Pacific Ocean. 

The P1.9 million BUB-GPB funded rainwater harvesting facility of San Joaquin ARB-MPC in barangay San Antonio, Basco, Batanes.

Cagayan ARC Clusters identified as World Bank-IPAC project sites

There are two Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Clusters in Cagayan province which were identified as project sites for the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved World Bank- Inclusive Partnership for AgriculturalCompetitiveness (IPAC) project. The project is aimed at helping farmers improve their standard of living, reduce poverty incidence, and develop the agri-business industry in the province in general.

The Department of Agrarian Reform-World Bank IPAC is a P10-billion project that will be funded by World Bank with counterparts from the national and local government which will cover 13 qualified regions such as Region 02 in the Cagayan Valley.

Cagayan province in Region 02 has been identified as one of the project sites wherein two Agrarian Reform Community Clusters, namely the Cagayan Grains Central ARC Cluster and the Cagayan South ARC Cluster are now preparing for the implementation of the project.

An ARC cluster is composed of two or more agrarian reform communities (ARCs) who have banded together to share resources, to work together to attain economies of scale and to expand their business operations that will include other municipalities.

The ARC Cluster shall be promoted as the convergence point of all government program implemented by government agencies such that each program and project is complimentary and supportive to each other. The strategy shall adopt a more comprehensive and integrated approach to rural development through collaborative efforts by all stake holders and partners. The bottom line objective is to improve productivity and income of the farmers by focusing agribusiness development of agro-industrial crops and to create economies of scale and active, harmonious and peaceful communities.

Another aim of this strategy is to widen the impact area that the ARC Program has started. It is intended to concretely operationalize partnership and convergence of development interventions in the rural areas not only in ARCs but to include the Non-ARC communities. 

The Cagayan Grains Central ARC Cluster is composed of 8 ARCs in 3 municipalities, includes of the following ARCs: Sunrise ARC (Gattaran), TANASICATCU ARC (Gattaran), LASVINAG ARC (Gattaran), Eastern Alcala ARC (Alcala), Greenfields ARC (Alcala), Evergreen ARC (Baggao), NALASBANGCA ARC (Baggao) and Insan-As-Viba ARC (Baggao). The Cagayan Grains Central ARC Cluster shall develop an integrated grains and livestock production, processing and marketing enterprises.

The Cagayan South ARC Cluster, on the other hand, is composed of nine (9) ARCs located in five (5) municipalities: NASUERTECA ARC (Amulung), Malaueg ARC (Rizal), MADOVILLA ARC (Piat), CACABLAY ARC (Tuao), SALAMIN ARC (Tuao), SABUNG ARC (Tuao), Western Solana ARC (Solana), FURABAN ARC (Solana) and ROBA ARC (Enrile). The Cagayan South ARC Cluster shall develop an integrated livestock and aquaculture production, processing and marketing enterprises.

The main objective of IPAC is to enhance access to markets and competitiveness of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), smallholder and landless farmers in the targeted agrarian reform community (ARC) clusters.

The project will also capacitate organized farmers who are members of farmers’ organizations such agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs),  to engage market-oriented production and agri-business. Also, to increase access to  appropriate and sustainable production, post-harvest, processing technology and agri-extension services.

The IPAC project will enhance the linkage of farmers and ARBOs/farmers organizations to markets and establish business partnership between them and private sector traders.

Establishing farm-to-market roads is just one of the government's projects which are in line with IPAC's goals.

The project is awarded to organizations already capable of managing their respective cooperatives. It will also enable them to continue their existing farm programs through support services and access to loans.

DAR‘s target implementation of the project is in the middle of 2017, with other line agencies like Department of Agriculture, and Land Bank of the Philippines as the credit program’s depository agency.

DAR Central Office said that P4,358,483 loaned from the WB will make up 42.93 percent of the P10,154,392 total budget for the IPAC Project. The national government will put in P4,543,099 or 44.74 percent of the total amount, local government units will allot P20,449 or 0.20 percent, and farmers' organizations will contribute 1,232,000 or 12.13 percent.

Land distribution is not the sole task of DAR. It also provides support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries empower them to become economically productive and successful agri-entrepreneurs.