PARCCOM-Cagayan Pushes for Farmer Pension in Bid to Strengthen Rural Welfare

Widus Hotel, Clark City, Pampanga - The Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee (PARCCOM)–Cagayan is advancing a proposal to establish a pension system for farmers and fisherfolk, a move aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in social security for agricultural workers and rural communities.

The initiative, recognized nationally for its focus on social welfare and retirement benefits for farming families, was formally recognized by development advocates last year when PARCCOM-Cagayan received a plaque of recognition for its policy proposal on the welfare of the farming sector.

A Plaque of Recognition was actually awarded to PARCCOM-Cagayan as one of the highlights of the National Conference of PARCCOM Chairpersons last December 2025, as recognition of outstanding PARCCOMs and individuals for their commitment and valuable contributions to the effective implementation of CARP. 

Proposal Aims to Address Rural Social Security Gap

Under the proposal, which draws on broader national legislative discussions on agricultural pensions, eligible farmers and fisherfolk would receive periodic retirement benefits to supplement their incomes in old age, closing a disparity in which many in agriculture remain outside traditional pension systems such as the Social Security System (SSS). Similar pension-for-farmers schemes have been pursued in the national legislative arena, including bills in Congress aimed at creating comprehensive agricultural pension programs.

Proponents argue that pension support would provide a safety net for workers who are often excluded from formal employment benefits and who face livelihood risks from weather events, market volatility, and limited access to credit and insurance products.

Context: Broader Push for Farmer Welfare

The PARCCOM’s pension proposal fits within a broader context of efforts to strengthen supports for farmers in Cagayan Valley and nationwide. Government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) have been expanding programmatic support through financial assistance, insurance coverage, and agrarian development initiatives aimed at productivity and income enhancement. Recent initiatives include expanded crop insurance coverage under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), now supported by an increased budget to cover millions of farmers and fisherfolk across the country.

Lawmakers have similarly sought to address gaps in social protection; for example, a bill filed in the House of Representatives proposes an agricultural pension program that would offer pensions and other benefits to registered farmers and fishermen, recognizing them as vital to national food security yet vulnerable to poverty.

Local and National Dialogue Continues

While PARCCOM-Cagayan’s proposal currently exists as a policy recommendation at the provincial and agrarian reform coordination level, supporters believe it could catalyze broader national policy adoption if integrated into the work of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) and relevant congressional committees.

“This is not just about retirement pay; it’s about dignity and stability for those who feed the nation,” said a representative from the farmers’ sector who has engaged with PARCCOM forums on social welfare priorities.

Standard Composition of a PARCCOM (per Republic Act 6657 and DAR rules)

A PARCCOM in any province, including PARCCOM–Cagayan, consists of the following members:

1. Chairperson

• Appointed by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) Executive Committee.

2. Ex-Officio Government Representatives

These are usually officials or designated representatives serving by virtue of their positions:

• Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) – acts as the Executive Officer of the PARCCOM.

• Provincial Agriculture Officer or Provincial Agriculturist – represents the Department of Agriculture (DA).

• Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) – represents the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

• Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Representative – designated by the LBP regional office.

3. Elective Members from Local Sectors

These are generally elected or selected locally, representing key agrarian stakeholders:

• One representative of farmers’ organizations in the province.

• One representative of agricultural cooperatives.

• One representative of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in agrarian or rural development.

• Two representatives of landowners, one of whom must be a producer representing the principal crop of the province.

• Two representatives of farmers and farmworker beneficiaries, one of whom must be a farmer or farmworker representing the principal crop of the province.

• One representative of cultural communities, where applicable, representing indigenous or other cultural groups in the province.

Next Steps

Advocates are now urging stakeholder consultations with farmer organizations, local government units, and national policymakers to refine pension eligibility, funding mechanisms, and integration with existing social welfare and agricultural programs — such as crop insurance, livelihood support, and agricultural credit — before formal legislative action can be pursued.

As discussions unfold, farming communities and rural advocates are watching closely for the proposal’s potential to transform long-standing patterns of agrarian insecurity into a more resilient rural social protection framework.

STEP GO-DIGITS program for Cagayan ARBOs

The STEP GO-DIGITS program is a digital transformation initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that aims to help agri-based groups and rural enterprises become part of the digital economy. It does this by providing technology tools, internet connectivity, e-commerce onboarding, and digital skills support so these organizations can improve how they operate, market their products, and reach customers online.

How It Started for Cagayan ARBOs

In December 2025, DTI expanded the STEP GO-DIGITS project to include Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) in several regions, including Cagayan Valley (Region II). The government distributed Digitalization Business (DigiBiz) Kits to a group of ARBOs in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao. These kits include technology such as Starlink Standard Enterprise V4 satellite internet equipment with priority data plans to help overcome poor or inconsistent connectivity in rural areas.

In Cagayan province, four (4) ARBOs were initial recipients of the STEP GO-DIGITS Project of DTI Regional Office 02:

• MBG Farmers Irrigators Credit Cooperative

• Nararagan Valley MPC

• PATASDA ARB Cooperative

• Solana West Farmers Cooperative

This technological support is meant to resolve a major challenge identified by DTI: over two-thirds of rural enterprises supported by the agency suffer from slow or non-existent internet, which limits their ability to participate in online selling, digital marketing, and virtual learning.

What It Means for ARBOs in Cagayan

For the ARBOs that received support under STEP GO-DIGITS in Cagayan Valley, this intervention is more than just new gadgets:

• Internet connectivity becomes reliable enough to support business activities that require a stable connection.

• Digital tools and platforms enable ARBOs to list products online, accept electronic payments, and run digital marketing campaigns.

• Virtual learning and networking opportunities increase as members can attend online training, webinars, and e-commerce onboarding sessions without connectivity barriers.

Through these improvements, ARBOs—many of which are cooperatives, multi-purpose cooperatives, and agrarian groups in Cagayan—can compete more effectively in both local and wider markets.

Why This Matters

For rural agrarian organizations that traditionally rely on local markets and manual processes, STEP GO-DIGITS is a gateway to modern business practices. It equips ARBOs with the digital tools and connectivity necessary to:

• Sell beyond their immediate locality through online channels.

• Improve productivity and operations efficiency by using digital systems instead of paper-based or manual tracking.

• Build long-term sustainability by adapting to digital trends in commerce and customer interaction.

Through STEP GO-DIGITS, the DTI has helped Cagayan ARBOs get connected and digitally capable, addressing infrastructure challenges and giving them access to e-commerce tools that can take their products and services to broader markets.  

Photos: Catherine Gardoce and DAR-DTI CARP

Stronger Markets, Stronger Farmers: The PAHP–Sagip Saka Effect in Cagayan

The Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) and the Sagip Saka Act (Republic Act 11321) have supported Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan — focusing on market access, income stabilization, organizational capacity, and legal procurement frameworks:

---

📌 1. PAHP: Direct Market Linkages and Sales Opportunities

PAHP, implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) under the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program, connects ARBOs directly with institutional buyers (government agencies and partner institutions) for the supply of agricultural produce. Through PAHP:

• ARBOs are linked to formal institutional markets such as feeding programs (e.g., Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facilities supplying PDL feeding needs), allowing them to sell locally grown vegetables and other produce on agreed terms.

• These market agreements provide ARBOs with predictable buyers and stable sales opportunities, reducing the reliance on volatile informal markets and middlemen, which often depress farmgate prices.

• Across all regions where PAHP is implemented, such partnerships have generated structured sales agreements worth billions for agrarian reform beneficiary enterprises.

In practical terms, for ARBOs in Cagayan:

• Participating ARBOs can secure purchase contracts with government feeding programs and other local institutional partners.

• Regular procurement encourages consistent production planning and better logistics, which helps ARBOs improve collective capacity and negotiate better pricing.

Even though specific sales figures for Cagayan are not always published regionally, the PAHP model has been replicated nationwide and supports ARBOs’ income and market participation in the province in similar fashion to other regions.

---

📌 2. Sagip Saka Act (RA 11321): Legal Foundation for Direct Government Procurement

The Sagip Saka Act institutionalizes market access by requiring national and local government agencies to procure agricultural and fishery products directly from accredited farmers’ and fisherfolk enterprises — including ARBOs — for use in feeding programs, relief operations, and other government needs.

Key mechanisms that support ARBOs under this law include:

a. Direct Government Procurement Without Competitive Bidding

• The law allows government agencies to purchase produce directly from accredited ARBOs, bypassing traditional public bidding processes — this lowers administrative barriers and creates reliable sales channels.

b. Institutional Market Expansion

• Beyond PAHP partners, Sagip Saka empowers all government buyers (e.g., schools, hospitals, social feeding and nutrition programs, disaster relief procurement) to source directly from ARBOs.

• Regional and local government units in Cagayan Valley can thus tap ARBOs for their procurement needs, broadening market reach beyond DAR-facilitated PAHP agreements.

c. Enterprise Development and Support

• The Act establishes the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Program aimed at strengthening ARBO business skills, market readiness, production quality, and value-chain participation.

• It also provides for capacity building, access to financing assistance, and promotion of enterprise competitiveness — critical elements for sustaining ARBO participation in institutional markets.

In Cagayan, this means that ARBOs with accredited status under the Sagip Saka framework can:

• Supply directly to any government agency with needs for agricultural products (e.g., DSWD feeding programs, DepEd school feeding), without repeated competitive bid processes.

• Benefit from a broader institutional buyer base beyond PAHP, which alone focuses on specific partnerships to fight hunger and poverty.

• Strengthen their operational and marketing capabilities through enterprise development resources promoted under the Act.

---

📌 3. Combined Contribution of PAHP & Sagip Saka for Cagayan ARBOs

While PAHP and Sagip Saka operate through different mechanisms, together they form a complementary support ecosystem that enhances ARBO performance in the following ways:

Market Access

• PAHP secures initial and structured institutional buyers for ARBO products, providing reliable demand that motivates production planning.

• Sagip Saka allows expanded, legally grounded procurement opportunities across public institutions, increasing sales avenues and reducing reliance on a single market channel.

Income Stability

• Contracts under PAHP help ARBOs generate recurring sales, which in aggregate have reached billions nationally, benefiting local agricultural enterprises, including those in Cagayan.

• Sagip Saka reinforces income security by embedding direct procurement obligations across government agencies, promoting routine and fair transactions for ARBO produce.

Organizational Strengthening

• Through PAHP contracts and implementation support, ARBOs learn to coordinate production, quality control, and delivery logistics.

• Under Sagip Saka, enterprise development frameworks provide training, business planning, and support systems that help ARBOs transition into formal agribusiness entities capable of meeting greater institutional demands.

Food Security and Local Food Systems

• PAHP ensures that locally produced food also serves targeted vulnerable populations (e.g., persons deprived of liberty, school and community feeding), anchoring ARBOs within local food systems and public nutrition programs.

• Sagip Saka’s direct procurement reinforces this by channeling more domestic supply into institutional consumption, strengthening linkages between production and consumption within the region.

Active ARBOs in Cagayan that have participated in PAHP (and by extension can benefit from Sagip Saka-enabled procurement) based on available reporting and government coordination activities:

✅ 1. DOH-DAR Marketing Agreements (PAHP) – Cagayan ARBOs

In Region 02 (Cagayan Valley), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Health (DOH) signed marketing agreements under PAHP with five ARBOs, enabling them to supply produce for institutional feeding/services. This event demonstrates active involvement of Cagayan ARBOs in formal PAHP market linkages.

---

📌 2. ARBOs Supplying to Institutional Buyers (BJMP)

DAR reports indicate that agrarian reform beneficiaries from the region are supplying fresh agricultural goods directly to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities under PAHP marketing arrangements. While specific ARBO names were not listed in the media reports, this partnership confirms PAHP operational participation by Cagayan ARBOs as suppliers in institutional contracts.

---

📌 3. Wider ARBO Landscape in Cagayan (DAR-CARP Monitoring List)

A 2024 monitoring and evaluation conducted by DAR and DTI in Cagayan identified a cohort of ARBOs/agrarian cooperatives active in marketing, production, and business development efforts. Not all may currently have confirmed PAHP or Sagip Saka contracts, but these are some eligible and present ARBOs in the province that could be participating in institutional procurement channels:

• MBG Farmer Irrigators Credit Cooperative (Rizal, Cagayan)

• Cabayabasan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Lal-lo, Cagayan)

• Pata Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Claveria, Cagayan)

• Payagan Farmers Cooperative (Ballesteros, Cagayan)

• Sambaland ARB Cooperative (Sanchez Mira, Cagayan)

• Caagaman Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Aparri, Cagayan)

• San Mariano Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Lal-lo, Cagayan)

• Cambass Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Gonzaga, Cagayan)

• Maguing Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Gonzaga, Cagayan)

• Lasvinag Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Gattaran, Cagayan)

• Sta. Cruz Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Pamplona, Cagayan)

• Patasda ARB Cooperative (Allacapan, Cagayan)

• Evergreen Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Baggao, Cagayan)

• Concepcion Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Amulung, Cagayan)

• Salamin Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Tuao, Cagayan)

• Northern Sto. Niño Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Sto. Niño, Cagayan)

• Nabbotuan Farmers MPC (Solana, Cagayan)

• Solana West Farmers Cooperative (Solana, Cagayan)

• Villarey ARB Cooperative (Piat, Cagayan)

• Mabuhay Agri-Crop MPC (Piat, Cagayan)

This list reflects active ARBOs engaged with DAR support structures and represents the pool from which PAHP/Sagip Saka contracts typically emerge in the province. 

📌 About Sagip Saka Contracts

While specific Sagip Saka procurement awards tied to individual ARBOs in Cagayan are not widely published online, ARBOs with active PAHP institutional relationships (such as DOH and BJMP supply agreements) are positioned to benefit from Sagip Saka’s direct government procurement mechanisms. Sagip Saka — enacted as Republic Act No. 11321 — facilitates direct purchases from accredited farmer organizations like ARBOs for government feeding, relief, and nutrition programs, expanding market opportunities beyond PAHP alone. (General law description; not region-specific). 

Together, PAHP and the Sagip Saka Act provide Cagayan’s ARBOs with a two-pronged advantage: (1) practical, program-driven institutional buyers through PAHP and (2) an expanded, legally supported market environment that enables ongoing, diversified government procurement. This synergy strengthens ARBOs’ economic resilience, market legitimacy, and long-term prospects as viable agribusiness entities rather than marginal produce sellers.

DAR Deploys Mobile Solar-Powered Water Pumps to ARBOs in Cagayan province to Boost Farm Productivity

CAGAYAN, Philippines — In a strategic effort to modernize agricultural operations and support sustainable farming, the Department ofAgrarian Reform (DAR) – Provincial Office of Cagayan (DARPO Cagayan) has rolled out mobile solar-powered water pump systems to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs) across Cagayan Province, specifically: Villarey Agrarian ReformBeneficiary (ARB) Cooperative in Piat; Western Zone Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative in Solana; and Evergreen Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative in Baggao, all in the province of Cagayan.

The initiative aims to address persistent irrigation challenges and reduce dependency on costly fuel-powered pumps, while increasing crop yields among smallholder farmers.

During a regional agrarian support activity in Tuguegarao City, DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III highlighted that the distribution of solar-powered irrigation pumps was part of a broader assistance package provided to thousands of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the region. The equipment was handed over alongside other farm machinery and inputs to ARBOs from provinces including Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

“This support helps our farmers reduce production costs, particularly by minimizing reliance on gasoline or diesel-driven pumps, and boosts agricultural productivity through a constant and eco-friendly water supply,” Estrella said.

Solar-Powered Water Pumps: A Practical Solution for Rural Farming Challenges. The mobile solar-powered water pumps harness renewable energy to draw and deliver water to farmlands without the need for grid electricity or fuel. This enables year-round irrigation even in remote areas with limited infrastructure, ensuring that crops receive a reliable water supply during both planting and dry periods. Farmers can use these systems for rice paddies, high-value crops, and vegetable gardens, which can significantly increase cropping frequency and overall production.

Local ARBO leaders expressed optimism about the mobile solar pump systems, noting that the reduced operating costs and ease of deployment would allow their communities to better manage water needs without the financial strain of fuel expenditures.

Part of a Larger Push for Agricultural Modernization. The rollout in Cagayan Valley complements other renewable irrigation initiatives across the Philippines. While the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has been implementing large-scale solar-powered irrigation projects — such as the Solar Pump Irrigation System in various parts of Cagayan and Isabela — DAR’s focus has been on providing smaller, mobile solar water pumping systems tailored to the needs of ARBOs and individual farming communities. Such interventions support the national agenda to strengthen food security, improve rural livelihoods, and promote climate-resilient agricultural practices. By leveraging solar energy, the programs help mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs and environmental constraints associated with traditional irrigation methods.

Looking Ahead. DAR has indicated plans to expand support for solar-powered agricultural equipment to additional ARBOs across other agrarian reform communities. Farmers and local officials welcomed these efforts, emphasizing that access to reliable irrigation is crucial for improving productivity, enhancing agricultural income, and fostering community resilience against weather variability.

ARB households in ARCs associated with higher incomes, lower poverty incidence, and better welfare outcomes.

Studies on agrarian reform in the Philippines show the role of the Agrarian Reform Community 

(ARC) approach in the Philippines and how membership in an ARC is associated with better incomes and welfare outcomes among agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs):

Impact of Agrarian Reform on Poverty (Celia M. Reyes, 2002)

• Using panel data from ~1,500 farming households (1990 and 2000), the study finds that being an ARB and being in an agrarian reform community (ARC) increases the probability of being non-poor. 

• It also shows that ARB households in ARC areas had higher real per capita incomes and lower poverty incidence compared to non-ARBs.

• The study explicitly mentions: “being in an agrarian reform community also has the same effect” of increasing the chance of being non-poor. 

Agrarian Reform and Poverty Reduction in the Philippines (Arsenio M. Balisacan & others, 2007)

• The paper describes the ARC approach (launched in 1993), which “concentrates resources in selected areas to deliver support services” rather than dispersing them broadly. 

• It asserts that “the ARC approach … if properly implemented, improves the economic conditions, social capital, and democratic participation of the communities.” 

• While it does not always report precise income coefficients for ARCs in all cases, it identifies ARCs as a key channel for delivering complementary services that enhance the poverty-reduction impact of agrarian reform.

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP): Time to Let Go (Raul V. Fabella, 2014)

• This review paper notes that a 2011 internal DAR study (the “ARC Level of Development Assessment (ALDA)”) found that among ARBs in ARCs:

  “the average yield (ton/hectare) among ARC beneficiaries in palay was 10 percent higher than the national average … in corn it was 50 percent higher” and that ARCs receive more credit and irrigation support. 

• Although not purely income data, the yield and support-service data support the link between ARC membership and improved productivity/investment, which ties to higher incomes.

Economic Evaluation of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in Agrarian Reform Communities in Nueva Ecija (Johnah Jefferson Mercado, Alma Dela Cruz & Ma. Pamela Roguel, 2021)

• This more recent case study investigates two ARCs in Nueva Ecija and evaluates support services, infrastructure and income/benefit outcomes. 

• While the full paper may need to be accessed for detailed income figures, it provides empirical evidence of ARCs being privileged in terms of infrastructure and support, which correlates with better outcomes.

Summary of Evidence

• There is empirical support that being part of an ARC (i.e., a cluster of ARB households with concentrated support services) is associated with higher incomes, lower poverty incidence, and better welfare outcomes.

• The mechanism is that ARCs allow for targeted delivery of infrastructure, credit, irrigation, extension services and community organization, which amplify the benefits of land-reform.

• The evidence is stronger in some cases (like the Reyes 2002 study) and somewhat weaker or mixed in others—but taken together, the weight of evidence supports the proposition that ARCs matter.

Link: What is an Agrarian Reform Community (ARC)

           DAR MC 14-99 Guidelines on ARC Launching

ARBs who were given lands under RA 6657 (CARL) may still be qualified as beneficiaries of 4Ps under RA 11310 (4Ps Act)

ARBs who are awarded agricultural lands under RA 6657 (CARL) are not automatically considered
poor or not poor under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of RA 11310.

Whether they are considered “poor” depends on whether they meet the poverty criteria defined under the 4Ps Law—not on whether they own land.

Does owning land as an ARB remove a household from being considered “poor”? No. Land ownership is not a basis for exclusion.                                                                                        

How does 4Ps define “poor”? Households classified as poor or near-poor by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (Listahanan), based on income and living conditions.

Are farmers or ARBs excluded from 4Ps? No. In fact, farmers and farmworkers are priority sectors for inclusion in 4Ps under RA 11310.                                                                   

So, can an ARB household still be considered “poor” and qualify for 4Ps?  Yes—if they are still income-poor and meet 4Ps conditions.

Legal Bases

1.   RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law).  Provides that qualified farmers and farmworkers may be awarded land.  The law does not state that once awarded land, ARBs are no longer poor or disqualified from social welfare benefits.  Many ARBs remain economically poor despite land ownership due to lack of capital, irrigation, markets, or support services.

2.     RA 11310 (4Ps Act), Section 6.  A household is eligible for 4Ps if: (1) Classified as poor or near-poor by the National Household Targeting System (Listahanan); (2) Has children 0–18 years old or a pregnant member; (3) Agrees to comply with health and education conditions.  Section 6(c) further states that households of farmers, fisherfolk, and farmworkers are priority sectors for inclusion in the targeting system. This means ARBs are “priority for inclusion”—not excluded.

Conclusion

*ARBs who were awarded land may still be classified as poor under the 4Ps Law.

*Land ownership does not automatically mean they are no longer poor.

*What matters is income, access to services, and living standards—not land title alone.

* If the ARB household still lives below the poverty threshold and meets 4Ps conditions, they remain qualified.

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.

Why Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) should join ARBOs

Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) see the value of joining and actively participating in an
Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organization (ARBO). 

Why Every ARB Should Join an ARBO?

As an Agrarian Reform Beneficiary, you already hold one of the greatest assets a farmer can have: land ownership. But owning land is only the beginning. To make it truly productive and sustainable, you need strength in numbers—and this is where an Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organization (ARBO) comes in.

1. Stronger Together

On your own, it is difficult to compete with large traders, access affordable farm inputs, or negotiate for fair prices. But as an ARBO member, you join forces with other farmers. Together, you have collective bargaining power—whether for selling your produce or buying seeds, fertilizer, and equipment at lower costs.

2. Access to Support Services

The government, through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and partner agencies, often delivers support—such as farm machinery, post-harvest facilities, training, and credit assistance—through ARBOs. Many programs and grants are not given to individuals but are channeled through organized groups. Without membership, you risk being left out of these opportunities.

3. Easier Access to Capital and Markets

Banks and financing institutions prefer lending to organized farmers. ARBO membership increases your eligibility for loans and insurance. At the same time, buyers—including supermarkets, processors, and exporters—often deal directly with ARBOs because they can provide consistent quality and volume that individual farmers cannot.

4. Learning and Growth

Through your ARBO, you gain access to training, mentoring, and farm business schools that upgrade your skills not only as a farmer but as an entrepreneur. You learn modern practices, financial literacy, and leadership—all crucial for your family’s future.

5. Resilience and Security

When challenges like typhoons, pests, or low prices strike, ARBOs provide a safety net. Members help one another, and collective resources can be mobilized for recovery. Alone, risks are heavier; together, they are lighter.

---

The legal basis for an Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB) to join an Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organization (ARBO) is rooted in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), primarily under Republic Act 6657 (CARP Law) and its amendment, R.A. 9700, which promote ARB cooperatives and associations for collective empowerment, productivity, and access to resources.

Key supporting bases include:

RA 6657 & RA 9700 – mandate ARB organizations to manage lands and improve livelihoods.

DAR Administrative Orders – set membership rules, requiring a majority of members to be ARBs.

CDA Registration – gives ARBOs legal personality under the Cooperative Code.

Joint DAR–CDA Issuances – clarify requirements and procedures for establishing ARBOs.

ARBO By-laws – ensure compliance with legal and internal governance rules.

Agrarian Reform Credit Program (APCP) – recognizes ARBOs as key channels for credit and support services.

In short, ARB membership in an ARBO is backed by law, DAR and CDA regulations, and organizational by-laws, ensuring that collective action translates into stronger support, resources, and empowerment for beneficiaries.

The Bottom Line

An ARBO is not just another organization—it is your gateway to empowerment, productivity, and prosperity.

By joining and participating, you:

• Make your land more productive

• Secure better incomes

• Access government and private support

• Strengthen your bargaining power

• Build a better future for your family and community

👉 Don’t remain on the sidelines. Be part of your ARBO —because land ownership is only the beginning; collective action is the key to lasting success.

Department of Agrarian Reform PBD Lawyering

 DAR’s PBD lawyering refers to the legal support services provided by the Department of   Agrarian Reform (DAR) under its Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) thrust.

It is part of DAR’s PBD work, where lawyers help ensure that agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and their organizations are legally empowered to sustain the land and support services they receive.

---

Purpose of PBD Lawyering

• To empower ARBs and ARBOs (agrarian reform beneficiary organizations) by providing them legal support in managing and defending their rights and enterprises.

• To help farmers navigate legal processes in relation to land ownership, tenancy, contracts, and organizational management.

• To complement land distribution with legal empowerment, ensuring ARBs can sustain productivity and avoid landlessness.

---

Main Tasks of PBD Lawyering

1. Legal Counseling and Assistance

   • Provide ARBs and cooperatives with advice on contracts, land use agreements, joint ventures, and agribusiness partnerships.

   • Help them understand their rights and obligations under agrarian laws.

2. Contract Review and Documentation

   • Drafting and reviewing legal documents such as lease contracts, marketing agreements, and cooperative by-laws.

   • Ensuring ARBOs enter fair and beneficial arrangements with private investors or buyers.

3. Representation in Legal Matters

   • Assist ARBs in cases involving land disputes, tenancy issues, foreclosure threats, and agribusiness contract violations.

   • Support ARBOs in arbitration or mediation with stakeholders (banks, LGUs, buyers, etc.).

4. Capacity Building / Education

   • Conduct training sessions on legal literacy for ARBs and their leaders.

   • Promote awareness of agrarian reform laws (RA 6657/Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, etc.), cooperative law, and business law.

5. Mediation and Dispute Resolution

   • Provide legal support in resolving conflicts within ARBOs or between ARBOs and external parties, to avoid costly litigation.

---

The legal bases for DAR’s PBD lawyering:

1. Republic Act No. 6657 (CARL of 1988, as amended by RA 9700)

• Section 2 – Declares the State policy to promote social justice through agrarian reform, which includes not only land distribution but also support services.

• Section 37 – Mandates DAR, in coordination with other agencies, to deliver support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) such as legal assistance, training, and institutional development.

• This provides the broad mandate for PBD lawyering as part of delivering support services.

---

2. Executive Order No. 229 (1987)

• Created the Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) component of CARP, alongside Land Tenure Improvement (LTI) and Agrarian Justice Delivery (AJD).

• Specifically directed DAR to organize and strengthen ARBOs, and provide legal, technical, and institutional support so beneficiaries can sustain land ownership and productivity.

---

3. DAR Administrative Orders & Memoranda

• DAR AO No. 9, Series of 1998 – Issued guidelines on agribusiness ventures (Joint Venture Agreements, Contract Growing, etc.) where DAR lawyers assist ARBs in contract negotiation, review, and documentation.

• DAR AO No. 2, Series of 2009 – Strengthened support services and emphasized legal assistance for ARBs entering into partnerships.

• DAR Memorandum Circulars (various years) – Institutionalize “PBD Lawyering” as a function of DAR field lawyers to assist ARBOs in contracts, disputes, and organizational legal matters.

---

4. Executive Order No. 129-A (1987)

• Reorganized DAR and affirmed its mandate not only on land distribution but also in providing support services and legal assistance to beneficiaries.

---

5. DAR’s Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) Framework

• Within the PBD thrust, PBD Lawyering is explicitly identified as a support mechanism to:

  • Empower ARBOs legally,

  • Protect ARBs from exploitative arrangements,

  • Assist in dispute resolution.

---

The legal bases rest on RA 6657 (CARL), EO 229, EO 129-A, and subsequent DAR Administrative Orders. These mandate DAR to provide legal support and protection as part of its Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) to ensure that agrarian reform beneficiaries are not only awarded land but are also legally capacitated to retain and productively use it.

DAR’s PBD lawyering is about protecting and strengthening ARBs’ gains after land distribution—making sure they do not lose their land or get into unfair deals, and that they can fully participate in agribusiness and rural enterprise development.

New Titles, New Responsibilities: Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in Cagayan Valley Now Paying Real Property Taxes

Cagayan Valley – For decades, many farmers in the region tilled their lands without the security of full ownership. That changed with the implementation of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and World Bank-assisted Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, which has been steadily distributing individual land titles to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).

Now, with land titles in their hands, farmers are not only celebrating ownership but also stepping into a new chapter of responsibility: paying real property taxes.

From Collective CLOAs to Individual Titles

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), many farmers were awarded lands through collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs). While these recognized their rights to land, collective ownership often made it difficult for farmers to use their lands as collateral, pass them on as inheritance, or manage them independently.

Through the SPLIT Project, these collective titles are being subdivided into individual land titles. In Cagayan Valley, thousands of ARBs have already received their long-awaited documents, affirming not just ownership but personal accountability.

Paying Taxes: A Milestone of Ownership

With individual land titles comes the legal obligation to pay real property taxes to local government units. For many ARBs, this is their first time facing such responsibility.

While some may see it as an additional burden, ARBs interviewed during recent title distribution activities view it differently:

• A badge of legitimacy – Paying taxes affirms their rightful claim as landowners.

• Access to services – Tax payments strengthen local revenues, which in turn fund roads, schools, and agricultural support programs.

• Empowerment – Farmers can now enter formal credit systems, mortgage their land for capital, or bequeath it to heirs, with their tax receipts serving as proof of ownership compliance.

Policy and Local Government Impact

DAR officials emphasize that the SPLIT Project is not only about land distribution but also about strengthening land tenure security and integrating farmers into the formal economy. Local governments, in turn, benefit from increased tax collection, allowing for greater investments in rural development.

According to DAR Region II, the growing compliance of ARBs in paying taxes reflects the success of agrarian reform as both a social justice and economic development program.

A New Chapter for Agrarian Reform

The DAR-World Bank SPLIT Project in Cagayan Valley demonstrates that agrarian reform is more than just giving land—it’s about empowering farmers to become responsible citizens, contributors to local development, and active players in the agricultural economy.

For the ARBs of Cagayan Valley, paying real property taxes is more than an obligation; it’s a symbol of pride, dignity, and the fruition of a promise that land truly belongs to the tiller.

Building Stronger Communities: The DAR–World Bank Project IPARC

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in partnership with the World Bank, is proposing to
launch a landmark initiative that seeks to uplift the lives of farmers across the Philippines. Known as the Inclusive Partnerships for Agrarian Reform Communities (IPARC) Project, this ambitious program is designed to empower agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through improved access to support services, stronger market linkages, and modern farming technologies.

At its core, IPARC aims to improve farming incomes and build resilient communities by giving small farmers not just land, but also the skills, tools, and networks they need to succeed.

Empowering Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries. The project targets 300,000 ARBs nationwide, most of whom are SPLIT beneficiaries who have received their electronic land titles. Notably, 30% of the target participants are women, recognizing their vital roles in production, post-harvest, and marketing of priority commodities. By ensuring inclusivity, the project opens opportunities for women farmers to take active leadership roles in community-based enterprises.

Component 1: Integrated Support Services for Productivity and Market Linkages. One of IPARC’s main thrusts is to organize and strengthen ARB organizations (ARBOs) and develop cluster farms, groups of contiguous farmlands cultivating single or multiple crops.

Through social preparation, participatory planning, and market studies, farmers will be mobilized into strong organizations capable of negotiating with buyers and accessing financial support. 

Cluster farms will be formed in two modalities: Large Farm Clusters: Covering 100 hectares or more, often focusing on one or multiple major crops. Small Farm Clusters: At least 50 hectares, grouped by crop type and location.

To make these clusters market-ready, IPARC provides capacity building, farmer field schools, business training, and financial management coaching. Farmers will benefit from shared resources, synchronized production schedules, and stronger bargaining power in marketing their products.

Equity-Based Grants ranging from ₱100,000 up to ₱5 million will be available for farm machinery, post-harvest facilities, and value-chain agribusiness ventures—helping ARBOs scale their operations sustainably.

Component 2: Rural Infrastructure. Recognizing that farm productivity is only as strong as the infrastructure that supports it, IPARC will finance the construction of farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, storage and cooling facilities, and processing centers. These facilities are crucial for reducing post-harvest losses, improving product quality, and connecting farmers directly to markets.

Component 3: Digital Transformation of DAR Systems. IPARC also introduces a digital transformation agenda for DAR. By modernizing and integrating information systems, DAR aims to provide farmers with efficient, transparent, and technology-driven services.

This includes: (1) Nationwide socio-economic profiling and ARB ID issuance for better targeting of services; (2) -Digitization of land parcel data linked to ARB IDs for transparent land management; and (3) Development of a Support Services Information System (SSI) for real-time data sharing and monitoring.

Such innovations will not only improve farmer support but also foster stronger inter-agency coordination.

Component 4: Project Management and Monitoring. To ensure smooth implementation, DAR will establish Project Management Offices (PMOs) at the central, regional, and provincial levels. These offices will oversee coordination, financial management, procurement, social and environmental safeguards, and monitoring and evaluation.

The result will be a responsive and accountable system that guarantees farmers receive the right support at the right time.

Towards a Brighter Future for Farmers. The DAR–World Bank IPARC Project represents more than just infrastructure or training. It is about building sustainable partnerships, empowering communities, and transforming farming into a viable livelihood.

By harnessing collective farming, equitable access to resources, and digital innovations, IPARC is set to create a future where Filipino farmers are not only landowners but also successful entrepreneurs and active contributors to national development.

When Steel Meets Soil: How DAR’s CRFPS Machines Are Changing Lives in Cagayan

Cagayan - The distribution of farm machinery and equipment under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) program is transforming the lives of agrarian reform beneficiaries and their organizations (ARBOs), easing backbreaking work, boosting productivity, and planting seeds of hope for farming communities across the province. 

At first light in a town in Cagayan province, the mist sits low over the paddies, and the quiet is broken only by the soft cough of a newly tuned engine. A combine harvester noses into a sea of gold, and rows of palay fall like curtains. On the dike, farmers, some with sun-cracked hands, others with fresh calluses, watch with a mixture of awe and relief. It’s not just a machine eating through grain. For many agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and their organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan, it feels like time itself is being given back. This is the new face of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) program in the province: steel, rubber, hydraulics, and hope.

Beyond the Keys: What a Machine Really Hands Over. The story often starts with a turnover ceremony, ribbons, a prayer, and the moment a set of keys meets a calloused palm. But the change begins after the applause fades.

For an agrarian reform beneficiary in a remote community, the arrival of a small hauler truck brings newfound independence at harvest. No longer does she have to rely on asking neighbors for transport space; now, she moves her crops on her own terms. Her ARBO schedules trips; they pool fuel, record usage, and charge minimal service fees that circle back to maintenance. Suddenly, logistics, once the invisible chain that strangled farm incomes, has slackened.

For another ARB in Alcala, a four-wheel tractor turns a two-day plowing job into half a morning. “Mas kaya ko nang tumayo ng diretso pag-uwi,” he says, spreading his fingers as if testing the air. That afternoon, he attends his grandson’s PTA meeting, something he had never attended before because the field never let him go.

A rice transplanter donated to an ARBO does more than line up seedlings with mechanical precision. It rescues backs that have bent for decades, and it invites youth to return to the fields, not as laborers of last resort, but as skilled operators, schedulers, and technicians. In a province where typhoons redraw plans overnight, CRFPS equipment is a quiet defiance against weather and time.

Climate Resilience You Can Touch. The word “resilience” can feel abstract, until a sudden downpour traps harvested palay. A mobile dryer (from another government agency) positioned on higher ground, turns panic into a plan. Solar dryers, small irrigation pumps, shredders for crop residues, these are not just accessories to a harvest; they’re safeguards. Each machine knocks down a point where loss used to enter the chain: in the mud, under the rain, along the road.

Cagayan’s farmers know the stubborn pulse of the Cagayan River, the late-season heat that scalds seedlings, the storms that crawl out of the northeast. CRFPS support answers in the language farmers understand: shorter turnaround time, less spoilage, steadier quality, fewer hands burned out by impossible labor. Resilience is no longer a slogan—it’s a switch you can flip and an engine you can start.

The Cooperative Heartbeat. These machines don’t live in a single farmer’s yard; they belong to ARBOs, the cooperatives and associations that give smallholders scale. It’s the ARBO’s booking log, the queue board on the office wall, the shared maintenance kit, the operator’s training that turns equipment into livelihood.

At a typical ARBO office, a whiteboard lists “who gets what, when.” It’s not perfect, the rain shuffles plans, a tire punctures at the worst time, but the system holds. High school graduates log hours, compute service fees, and learn preventive maintenance. Mothers who used to accompany hired help now supervise scheduling, reconciling receipts over merienda. The machine room becomes a classroom; the classroom becomes a business.

With shared assets, ARBOs negotiate better prices for fuel and parts. They test new practices, line transplanting here, ratooning there, and compare results. The machines are a magnet for partnerships: local governments pitch in, agri-suppliers offer training, and state universities send interns. The circle widens. Income stabilizes. Dreams get bolder.

The Cost of Drudgery and the Dividends of Dignity. For years, the hidden expense of farming was pain, soreness that never really left, time away from family, the constant helplessness when rain and labor didn’t line up. CRFPS support doesn’t eradicate hardship, but it shifts the balance. Hours saved from plowing and threshing turn into extra rows planted, an afternoon at church, a nap that doesn’t feel like guilt.

Women at the Helm, Youth at the Controls. Something else has changed in the cadence of the fields: voices. Women, often the steady hands behind cooperative records, are now dispatchers, treasurers, even machine operators. Their attention to detail shows up in cleaner books, fewer breakdowns, and fairer schedules.

And youth, once pulled away by the promise of city lights or gig work, find a different future humming in the cab of a tractor. They speak the dual languages of soil and software, using apps to track fuel usage, posting schedules on group chats, and troubleshooting engine codes with manuals open on their phones. Farming looks less like an exit and more like a vocation.

Not a Silver Bullet—But a Strong Beginning. There are growing pains. Fuel costs pinch. Spare parts can take time. Training must be constant to keep accidents and breakdowns at bay. But these are solvable problems when ownership is shared and the books are open. ARBOs that embrace transparent policies, clear fee structures, maintenance funds, operator rotation, see the machines last longer, serve more members, and pay forward their benefits.

In meeting halls across Cagayan, you can hear the new grammar of cooperation: utilization rates, amortization, uptime. It’s not jargon for its own sake; it’s the language of stewardship.

Harvest as a Love Letter. By late afternoon, the combine’s bin spills grain into awaiting sacks. The sun lowers, turning fields the color of warm bread. Someone shouts a joke, someone else signs a logsheet, and a child climbs onto the tractor step, eyes bright as chrome. You can almost feel the future hitching a ride.

The CRFPS program’s farm machinery and equipment will never make headlines like a typhoon does, and yet their impact moves quietly through barangays, from Tuguegarao to Rizal to Amulung, Alcala to Solana, transforming exhaustion into possibility, isolation into community, and routine into ritual. Where steel meets soil, dignity takes root.

Tonight, in kitchens across Cagayan, there will be talk of schedules and seed varieties, of drying times and market days. There will be sore muscles, yes, but also laughter that comes easier. And as another engine cools under a sky of scattered stars, an old truth feels new again: when farmers are trusted with the right tools, and trusted to share them, hope becomes not just an emotion, but a harvest you can hold.