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 approves Php26 million projects for Lallo ARB Coop

Lallo, Cagayan – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has approved the funding for projects worth P26 million in favor of the Naguillan Christian Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Naguillan Christian MPC) under the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services program (ARCCESS). 

The ARCCESS program aims to improve farm productivity, increase the CARP beneficiaries’ net income and also sustain the farmers’ livelihood by improving the organizational management capabilities of organizations being managed by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through agri-enterprise development.

     The ARCCESS program is a government initiated activity in pursuance to the mandate of R.A. 6657 (CARP), now known as CARPER (R.A. 9700) after the former was amended and extended. It involves the participation of state colleges and universities, civil society organizations, private institutions and other stake holders aimed at providing a wide range of services to improve the performance of agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in terms of agri-enterprise, access to markets, product development, ability to compete with other businesses, and participate in economies of scale.

     As such, the Naguillan Christian Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Lallo, Cagayan shall be receiving assistance in the form of provision and construction of common service facilities (CSF), such as: post harvest facilities, truck, warehouse, mechanical dryer, etc. It also includes the provision of financial management trainings to ensure the sustainability of the project which will be managed by the cooperative. The cooperative was recently visited by no less than DAR Secretary Virgilio de Los Reyes sometime in November 2012 during the conduct of the capability assessment of the cooperative. /cds

DAR Secretary Virgilio de Los Reyes at Naguillan Christian MPC in Lallo, Cagayan. (Photo by: DAR Regional Office 02)