DARPO-Cagayan launches two eFBS sites

The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes has launched another two (2) new sites for the enhanced Farm Business School (eFBS) program to equip agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Amulung, Cagayan and Gattaran, Cagayan with entrepreneurial skills and knowledge in farm management, marketing, costing, and basic accounting, aiming to boost their income and contribute to agricultural sustainability. 

The Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) enhanced Farm Business School (eFBS) has made a significant impact on agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and rural farming communities by transforming traditional subsistence farming into sustainable agribusiness ventures. Here are some key ways the FBS has contributed to the development of the agricultural sector:

1. Economic Empowerment of Farmers

The FBS program teaches ARBs how to manage their farms as businesses, enabling them to maximize profits and reduce losses. By applying financial management and marketing strategies, many farmers have transitioned from being mere producers to agripreneurs who actively engage in the agricultural value chain.

• Higher Income Generation: Graduates of the program have reported increased earnings due to improved farm productivity and better pricing strategies.

• Job Creation: With better farm management, some ARBs have expanded their operations, creating employment opportunities within their communities.

2. Improved Agricultural Practices

Through FBS training, farmers gain technical knowledge in modern farming techniques, proper record-keeping, and sustainable agricultural practices. These innovations lead to higher yields, better-quality crops, and more efficient farm management. 

3. Strengthening Farmers' Organizations

The FBS encourages farmers to collaborate and form cooperatives, which gives them better leverage in the market. Collective farming, bulk purchasing, and group marketing strategies have made it easier for smallholder farmers to negotiate with buyers, suppliers, and financial institutions.

4. Enhanced Market Access

Before undergoing FBS training, many ARBs struggled to find stable markets for their produce. The program equips them with market analysis skills, negotiation techniques, and product branding knowledge, allowing them to sell directly to consumers, supermarkets, and institutional buyers.

• Linkages with Agribusiness Enterprises: Some farmer groups have successfully secured contracts with local businesses, ensuring a steady demand for their crops.

5. Sustainability and Food Security

By teaching financial literacy, risk management, and diversification strategies, FBS helps farmers prepare for market fluctuations and climate-related risks. This resilience ensures consistent food production, contributing to both local and national food security.

Difference between the FBS and the eFBS: 

The Farm Business School (FBS) and the Enhanced Farm Business School (EFBS) programs of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) both aim to improve the entrepreneurial skills of farmers. However, there are key differences between the two:

1. Farm Business School (FBS)

• Traditional Approach: The FBS is a training program designed to help farmers develop business skills to manage their farms as enterprises.

• Focus: It emphasizes basic farm business management, such as planning, production, marketing, and financial literacy.

• Implementation: Conducted in agrarian reform communities (ARCs), teaching farmers how to increase farm productivity and income through structured training sessions.

• Target Audience: Smallholder farmers, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), and rural communities.

2. Enhanced Farm Business School (EFBS)

• Expanded & Upgraded Version: The EFBS builds on the foundation of FBS but includes enhanced learning modules and digital tools for better farm business management.

• Focus: Aside from basic business skills, it includes advanced topics such as value-adding, digital marketing, climate-smart agriculture, and agripreneurship.

• Implementation: Uses interactive methods like experiential learning, market linkages, and more comprehensive mentorship programs.

• Integration with Technology: EFBS integrates modern farming technologies, e-commerce, and agribusiness innovations to help farmers adapt to changing agricultural trends.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	Farm Business School (FBS)	Enhanced Farm Business School (EFBS)
Scope	Basic farm business management	Advanced farm business & agripreneurship
Focus	Traditional farm-to-market approach	Digital marketing, value-adding, & modern techniques
Training Method	Standard classroom-based learning	Interactive, hands-on, and technology-driven
Technology Use	Minimal	Incorporates e-commerce, ICT, & digital tools
Market Linkages	Basic	Expanded to broader markets (e.g., online selling)

Which is Better?

• If a farmer needs foundational knowledge in business planning and farm management, FBS is a good starting point.

• If a farmer wants to scale up their agribusiness, use digital tools, and explore wider markets, the EFBS is more beneficial.

The DAR’s enhanced Farm Business School has become a game-changer for Filipino farmers by shifting their mindset from traditional farming to agribusiness entrepreneurship. With its continued implementation, the program holds the potential to further uplift rural communities, reduce poverty, and enhance the agricultural sector’s overall competitiveness.                  Photos: Rosemarie Cardona

 

Farm Business School (FBS): Transforming farmers into entrepreneurs

SOLANA, CAGAYAN-Around twenty-six (26) farmers from the Cadaanan United Farmers Association (CUFA) in Solana, Cagayan province recently completed the training on the first batch of Farm Business School (FBS) conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office in Cagayan (DARPO-Cagayan). The FBS is a hands-on intensive training  originally formulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations intended to extend entrepreneurial knowledge and skills to farmers who would be able to manage farm business operations on their own.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a 2011 Report stated that farmers need to adopt their farm business to market changes and to improve their efficiency, profitability and increase their income in order to be competitive and be able to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

The FAO is an intergovernmental organization which has 194 member-nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance among others, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

The FBS was developed to improve the farmer-producers' entrepreneurial and management skills. Participants work and learn as a group through hands-on activities, addressing issues pertaining to the supply chain market challenges. Experiments on crop production are also encountered to improve existing practices with the end of increasing the socio economic benefits through participation in agricultural and market activities.

The training includes activities that study the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis, pinpointing and introduction of fresh products with packaging, evaluating profit margins, and crafting a business plan. Farmer-participants interact with market and industry players (traders, investors, suppliers). After which they advance as fully capacitated agricultural entrepreneurs.

Traditionally, Filipino farmers are seen as mere producers of agri products and not as businessmen. As such, they usually do not earn much from selling their produce as they are unskilled in terms of business acumen.  Because of that, only the middlemen and the traders are at the receiving end of the profits out of the farmers’ toil. Worse, after paying his debts to usurers, he is left with nothing when the planting season begins and again, he is forced to borrow planting capital at usurious rates and so begins another never-ending cycle of oppressive indebtedness.

The FBS enhances the capacity of farmers to take part and benefit from agricultural market connectivity and builds on the collective/group experiential learning of fellow farmers and shifting from originally production oriented to a business-oriented event. Additionally, there are also ongoing FBS sessions in Alcala, Cagayan for the same purpose being undertaken by DARPO-Cagayan. (Photos by: Elmer Custodio and Santi Mabborang)

Traditionally, Filipino farmers are seen as mere producers of agri products and not as businessmen. As such, they usually do not earn much from selling their produce as they are unskilled in terms of business acumen.  

The training includes activities that study the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis, pinpointing and introduction of fresh products with packaging, evaluating profit margins, and crafting a business plan. 

Participants work and learn as a group through hands-on activities, addressing issues pertaining to the supply chain market challenges. 

Experiments on crop production are also encountered to improve existing practices with the end of increasing the socio economic benefits through participation in agricultural and market activities. 

The FBS enhances the capacity of farmers to take part and benefit from agricultural market connectivity and builds on the collective/group experiential learning of fellow farmers and shifting from originally production oriented to a business-oriented events. 

27 ARBs from Alcala, Cagayan Graduate from Farm Business School

       Some 27 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries were able to complete the several sessions on the Farm Business School (FBS) training (on Pinakbet vegetables production and marketing) facilitated by the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes) and the Local Government Unit of Alcala, Cagayan (LGU-Alcala) sometime in December 2017 at the Eastern Alcala Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) in barangay San Esteban, Alcala, Cagayan.

      The Farm Business School aims to equip the participating farmer beneficiaries with skills and knowledge in adding value to their commodities to command higher premium. In addition, they are trained how to market their products to maximize their income.

      After a model is selected and participants are gathered, the FBS proceeded with its three stages: (1) Diagnosis and planning – includes getting to know the farmers and the farmers getting to know each other, teaching basic business concepts, market assessment analysis (SWOT – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats); (2) Implementing – Farmers develop a vision and a goal for their farm business and then work with the trainers to develop a business plan; continue with business education; and (3) Evaluating and re-planning – Benefits and performance are assessed, an action plan is developed and participants prepare for the next season.

    The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) started setting up farm business schools (FBS) in selected communities in different provinces. It is designed to transform farmer-beneficiaries from producers of raw farm goods to becoming agri-entrepreneurs.

   Agrarian Reform Beneficiries (ARBs) are also taught overall farm management techniques, from production to marketing, to increase and ensure the quality of their harvests, raise their income by learning the proper time and specific crops to be produced to avoid flooding the market with similar crops resulting to low prices. It is also aligned with the goal of attaining food security, improving the small farmers’ access to the market and increasing their income by selling their produce at the proper time.  

       The FBS is being supported by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The initial success of the project led to its being replicated in more areas nationwide. /cds

Farmers experience increased production under Sugacane Block Farms

Sometime in the year 2013, the Department ofAgrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the SugarRegulatory Authority (SRA) started the Sugarcane Block Farms project, with nineteen (19) pilot sites most of which are in Negros Occidental. As a consequence thereof, it was shown that the pilot sites posted an average increase of 29 percent in farm productivity for the crop year 2013-2014 after a year of operation. It was also established that the block farms had an average increase from 50.78 tons cane per hectare (TC/Ha) to 65.29 TC/Ha during the period. All the pilot block farms showed increases in productivity ranging from 7.47 percent to 100 percent after receiving capacity-building, technical assistance, farm planning, and farm management support from SRA.

The Sugarcane Block Farm in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, specially, the Hacienda Bernardita Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative experienced a 7.47 percent increase in production, from its traditional production of 77 TC/Ha to 82.75 TC/Ha. A similar experience was also posted by the North Cluster Producers Cooperative in Paniqui, Tarlac which involved a 100 percent increase in productivity from 50 TC/Ha to 100 TC/Ha. Consequently, the average 29 percent increase in productivity resulted to an average increase of the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ (ARBs) income by P39,815 per hectare, at 1.96 Lkg per TC.

The SBF project includes trainings on Sugarcane high-yeild varieties production and management. 

In Cagayan province, Sugarcane Block Farms started in 2016-2017 through the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project covering the Bugnay Farmers Marketing Cooperative in Tuao, Cagayan and the Mabuhay Agri-Crops MPC in Piat, Cagayan. The 2017-2018 FBS project included the Bantay Farmers Producers Cooperative in Solana, Cagayan and Pinoy Bagong Pagasa Marketing Cooperative in Tuao, Cagayan. For the 2018-2019 SBF projects, the ARBOs to be enrolled are Roma Sur MPC in Enrile, Cagayan and Villarey ARB Cooperative in Piat, Cagayan.

Cagayan SBF ARBOs enrolled under the SBF project are provided farm machines to ensure the sustainability of the project. 

The DAR-DA/SRA Sugarcane Block Farms (SBF) project involves the consolidation of the management of small farms of less than five hectares, into a bigger but contiguous unit of at least 30 hectares for purposes of improving farm productivity while individual ownership by the ARB is maintained.

Information gathered from SRA shows that about 85 percent of sugarcane farms in the country have areas below five hectares due the widespread coverage of agri lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), subdivision of lands by inheritance, sale, etc.

Sugarcane is a plantation crop and its cost-efficiency ratio is achieved with large farm sizes such as 30 hectares and above, small sugarcane farmers cannot avail of the benefits of economies of scale, such as reduced prices of inputs for bulk purchases, etc. The present ARB-land owners also do not have the capability to provide the needed farm inputs resulting to lower production, it is also aggravated by the lower price offered by millers except for large volume transactions. 

The Sugarcane Block Farms project aims to consolidated small sugarcane farms into larger agribusiness ventures, improved farm management and mechanized farming by the ARB’s through provision of essential technical, financial, production and marketing support services under the project. At the end of their enrollment under the SBF project, these ARBOs shall be able to operate the sugarcane block farms as a business and become a major industry player through economies of scale.

SALAMIN MPC and BJMP-Tuao District Jail renew EPAHP Marketing Agreement

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan -The SALAMIN Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a duly registered agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) based in Tuao, Cagayan and the Tuao District Jail under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 signed the renewed marketing agreement wherein the former shall supply the later with fresh vegetables as one of the needs of the BJMP.

The members of the SALAMIN MPC are graduates of the Farm Business School (FBS) which was established by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture (DA-ATI) and the local government unit of Tuao (LGU-Tuao). It is aimed to build up the capabilities of agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in handling and marketing their farm products through trainings on bookkeeping, cash flows, market surveys, labor, product selling, product costing and proper packaging of their products. Consequently, they have a profitable fresh vegetable business enterprise.

The marketing agreement is based on the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP). The EPAHP is one of the banner programs of the Inter-Agency Task Force Zero Hunger, created under Executive Order No. 101, January 10, 2020, whose objective is to mitigate hunger, ensure food nutrition security, and establish sustainable agriculture by 2030. Among the strategies are coordination with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and to establish marketing arrangements for various Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs). It is also intended to contribute to the national government efforts in addressing hunger and poverty through the synergy and convergence of essential services of participating EPAHP partners directly benefiting the poorer sector of the country. Under this program, the rural communities are encouraged to enhance social capital and optimize economic resource base through feeding programs, food-production programs, and essential support services, including the participation of community-based organizations in government procurement as partners and/or service providers. This reinforced convergence and synergy among the different government agencies and other development partners will revolutionize the journey towards social development. Through the EPAHP, better engagement with rural communities, enhancement of social capital and optimization of economic resource base is possible.

The renewal of the marketing agreement between SALAMIN MPC and BJMP-Tuao District Jail was attended by BJMP officials - JINSP Atty. Randy A. Dupilas, District Jail Warden; JOI Kay Anthony Q. Abarriao, Food Service Supervisor; and SALAMIN MPC officers - William A. Olang, Chairman and Tessie C. Bansag, Treasurer. The event was likewise witnessed by DARPO-Cagayan officials led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Val M. Cristobal, OIC-PARPO I Pedro Barasi and Novelita Edraira, EPAHP Focal Person.  Photos by: Joana Marie Soriano-Cho

SALAMIN MPC Chairman William Olang and BJMP representative JOI Kay Anthony Abarriao signing the Marketing Agreement. 

DARPO-Cagayan PARPO II Val M. Cristobal and other officials witnessing the signing of the Marketing Agreement. 

The EPAHP is one of the banner programs of the Inter-Agency Task Force Zero Hunger, created under Executive Order No. 101, whose objective is to mitigate hunger, ensure food nutrition security, and establish sustainable agriculture by 2030. 

FAQs on: UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFERS or CONVEYANCES (of agricultural lands)

What does the rules on unauthorized transfer or conveyances provide?

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2011 or the rules on unauthorized transfer or conveyances streamline the land acquisition and distribution process. It strengthens and supplements other CARP guidelines to ensure the coverage, acquisition and distribution of lands involving illegal transaction.

What are the general premises with regards to transfers and conveyances of CARP covered lands?

The general premises with regard to transfers and conveyances of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) covered lands are as follows: Section 6, paragraph 1 of Republic Act No. 6657 states “…in no case shall retention by the landowner exceed five (5) hectares.

Paragraph 4 of the same section further states that “Upon the effectivity of this act, any sale, disposition, lease, management contract or transfer of possession of private lands executed prior to RA 6657 shall be valid only when registered with the Register of Deeds (ROD) within 3 months after the effectivity of this Act.”

Section 70 of the same law states that disposition of private agricultural lands retained by the landowner as a consequence of Sec. 6 shall be valid as long as the total landholdings that shall be owned by the transferee inclusive of the land to be acquired should not exceed 5 hectares. Thus, any sale or disposition of agricultural lands after the effectivity of this Act found to be contrary to the provisions of RA 6657, as amended, shall be null and void.

When is land transfer unauthorized?

A.O. No. 8, series of 2011, defined Unauthorized transfer as any sale, disposition or transfer of possession to any private entity on or after June 15, 1988 by a landowner who owns one or more agricultural lands with an aggregate size of more than five hectares.

Unauthorized transfers also include those transfers made:

1. After the NOC was duly served to the LO

2. Prior to 15 June 1988 if the said transfers were not registered within three months after 15 June      1988 or on or before 13 September 1988.

What are authorized transfers?

AUTHORIZED transfers are those:

1. Made through hereditary succession;

2. Consolidation by banks to its name of foreclosed agricultural landholdings, provided that the mortgage, foreclosure and consolidation was done in accordance with its ordinary course of business; and

3. Sale or disposition by banks of agricultural landholdings that it has foreclosed and consolidated in its name, provided that it is sold or disposed of within the period of five (5) years described by  Section 52 of RA 8791, otherwise known as the General Banking Law.

Who certifies that a land transfer is unauthorized?

It is the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) who certifies that the land transfer is unauthorized. (Section 3, AO No. 8, series of 2011)

To whom should the PARO issue the Notice of Coverage (NOC) for agricultural

landholdings which was subject of an unauthorized land transfer?

The PARO should issue the NOC to the person or entity registered as the said landholding’s owner as of June 15, 1988 (herein referred to as “ the original landowner (Section 4 , AO No. 8, Series of 2011)

Who qualifies as beneficiaries for landholdings subject of an unauthorized transfers?

(1)   The agricultural lessees, (2)tenants and farmworkers of both the original landowner and

(3) The currently registered landowner/s are qualified to be farmer beneficiaries (FBs) of the subject landholding.

(4)   The landowners (original and currently registered) may also submit a duly attested list of his/her/its agricultural lessees, tenants and regular farmworkers.

(5)   However, potential beneficiaries of the currently registered landowner may also apply on their own to qualify as beneficiary. 

Who can claim the proceeds of the just compensation, if there are more than one currently registered Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT)?

In case there are more than one currently registered Transfer Certificate of Title covering the entire subject land, the Memorandum of Valuation (MOV) shall state the value of the entire subject land and proportion each currently registered landowner has the right with respect to the just compensation.

The Land Bank of the Philippines shall only release the just compensation proceeds covering the portion of the landholding subject of unauthorized transfer to the person or entity who is registered as the landowner at the time the Certificate of Deposit (COD) was issued.

How does DAR notify the landowner?

The DAR shall notify the landowner/s through a Notice of Land Valuation and Acquisition (NLVA). This Notice shall still be issued to the original landowner, and shall state that the LBP shall only release the just compensation proceeds covering the portion of the landholding subject of unauthorized transfer to the person or entity who is registered as the landowner at the time the COD was issued. Certified true copies of the NLVA shall be furnished to the person/s or entity/ies who is/are registered as the landowner at the time the COD was issued.

Is there a need to conduct a re-documentation of the Claim Folder for un-authorized Transfers?

There is no need to conduct a re-documentation of the Claim Folder. However, if the COD has yet to be issued at the time the PARO discovered the unauthorized transfers, the PARO shall:

1. amend the information pertaining to the landowner to include the subsequent transferees as “alternate landowners and payees” if the Claim Folder has not yet transmitted the to the LBP; or

2. inform the LBP of such unauthorized transfer so that it may be included in the valuation process of the LBP, if the Claim Folder has already transmitted.

Can the DAR Secretary prescribe special rules to govern special cases of landholdings subject of unauthorized transfers?

Yes. The DAR Secretary may prescribe special rules to govern special cases of landholdings subject of unauthorized transfers.

What penalties shall apply against the transfer of agricultural lands made without prior clearance from the DAR?

Penalties provided by other DAR Administrative Orders/Memorandum Circulars against the transfer of agricultural lands made without prior clearance from the DAR shall still apply. Examples are MC 18, Series of 2004 and Joint DAR-LRA MC 16, Series of 2001. These MCs follow the general premise that fall under prohibited acts and omissions that are punishable under Section 74 of RA 9700 which states that:

“Any person who knowingly or wilfully violates the provisions of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one (1) month to not more than three (3) years or a fine of not less than One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) and not more than Fifteen thousand pesos (P15,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.

Provided, That the following corresponding penalties shall be imposed for the specific violations hereunder:

"(a) Imprisonment of three (3) years and one (1) day to six (6) years or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) and not more than One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court upon any person who violates Section 73, subparagraphs (a), (b), (f), (g), and(h) of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended; and

"(b) Imprisonment of six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years or a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) and not more than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court upon any person who violates Section 73, subparagraphs (c), (d), (e), and (i) of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended. "If the offender is a corporation or association, the officer responsible therefore shall be criminally liable."

Source: Department of Agrarian Reform

Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Cultivating a Climate-Resilient Tomorrow: Inside the ₱8.09-Billion Project VISTA

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines — For decades, the majestic, sweeping ridges of the

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the rugged highlands of SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) have defined the geographical extremes of the Philippine archipelago. But beneath their breathtaking vistas lies a grueling reality for the smallholder communities anchored to these slopes: geographic isolation, systemic rural poverty, and a front-row seat to the accelerating devastation of climate change.

Now, a sweeping ₱8.09-billion initiative is betting on a blend of environmental conservation and aggressive entrepreneurship to rewrite that narrative.

Formally known as Project VISTA (Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities), this six-year joint venture brings together the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other key national agencies. Together, they aim to uplift roughly 350,000 individuals across 112 vulnerable agrarian reform communities.

Anchoring on Coffee and Cacao

At its core, Project VISTA departs from traditional, single-track agricultural aid. Instead of simply handing over seeds, the initiative treats the environment and the market as a single, connected pipeline.

The strategy pivots on two high-value anchor crops: coffee and cacao.

Upland terrains provide the exact microclimates required to harvest premium beans, yet farmers have historically been disconnected from profitable commercial networks. By utilizing a "Farm Business School" (FBS) model, VISTA transforms subsistence farmers into savvy entrepreneurs capable of managing production, post-harvest processing, and direct marketing.

To bridge the physical gaps, the project is constructing climate-resilient farm-to-market roads and decentralized post-harvest facilities. This infrastructure ensures that delicate harvests reach buyers smoothly, rather than rotting on isolated mountain trails.

Cultural Integrity and Inclusivity First

One of Project VISTA’s most distinctive structural traits is its localized, demographic focus. The project purposefully targets segments of the rural population that are frequently overlooked by mainstream economic programs. Half of VISTA's 80,000 target households are run by women, 30% are indigenous peoples, and 20% are rural youth.

Because these vulnerable upland zones tightly overlap with ancestral domains, the DAR finalized a sweeping partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). This ensures that field subprojects—such as those already rolling out in Benguet's Atok, Kapangan, and Tublay municipalities—are executed with strict respect for traditional customs and indigenous land stewardship rules.

From the Ridges to the Markets

The stakes are remarkably high. The current administration views VISTA as a primary engine for its broader national goal: lifting eight million more Filipinos out of poverty.

By building agricultural systems that can withstand unpredictable weather patterns, while simultaneously teaching farmers how to negotiate directly with commercial buyers, the project provides a blueprint for sustainable development. As work moves forward on the ground, the country's vulnerable highlands may finally see their isolation replaced by economic stability.

Under Batch 1 of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Project VISTA, the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) of Benguet officially endorsed six (6) priority community-responsive subprojects targeting the upland municipalities of Atok, Kapangan, and Tublay.

These localized interventions are designed to boost farm productivity, protect the fragile highland ecosystems, and integrate smallholders into lucrative commercial networks.

Specific Subproject Interventions

The six endorsed subprojects are explicitly tailored around the coffee and cacao industries—the designated economic anchor crops for the region—and are broken down across the three target areas:

• Establishment of Coffee and Cacao Plantations: New production zones are being mapped and cleared to systematically scale up the premium bean output of the municipalities.

• Upgrading and Development of Specialized Nurseries (Atok & Tublay): To ensure a continuous supply of high-yielding, quality seedlings, existing crop nurseries are being expanded and modernized. These nurseries also pull double-duty by supplying rootstocks used for agroforestry out-planting activities designed to prevent mountain soil erosion.

• Installation of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks (Kapangan): To mitigate the severe threats of climate change and erratic rainfall, large-scale rainwater capture and storage networks are being installed to keep upland coffee and cacao fields irrigated during dry spells.

Projected Impact and Stakeholder Support

• Beneficiaries: These six initial subprojects are expected to directly benefit over thousands of ARBs and their families across the three covered municipalities.

• Institutional Alignment: To prevent the subprojects from operating in isolation, they are explicitly anchored to each local government unit's (LGU) Municipal Development Plan (MDP).

• Cultural & Safeguard Review: Because these subprojects are situated within ancestral domains, the planning phase involved multi-agency coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to ensure they are culturally appropriate, respect indigenous land stewardships, and remain ecologically sound.

SOURCES:

1. Government Institutional Reports & Announcements

Department of Agrarian Reform. (2026, February). VISTA projects to benefit 765 ARBs in Benguet [Press release]. Republic of the Philippines, Department of Agrarian Reform Central Office.

Department of Finance. (2024, November). PH, IFAD sign €78.62-million loan agreement for Project VISTA to boost rural economies, reduce poverty [Press release]. Republic of the Philippines, Bureau of the Treasury.

International Fund for Agricultural Development. (2024). Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities (Project VISTA): Project design report. Rome, Italy: IFAD Asia and the Pacific Division.

2. Official News Agency & Media Coverage

Philippine Information Agency Cordillera. (2026, February 18). Six VISTA subprojects to boost coffee, cacao livelihoods in Benguet. Philippine Information Agency.

PageOne News. (2024, November 13). Project VISTA: P8.09-billion initiative launched to transform upland agrarian reform communities in CAR and Region XII. PageOne Philippines.

3. Related Comparative Frameworks (Contextual References)

Department of Agrarian Reform. (2022). Project CONVERGE (Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment): Project completion report. Republic of the Philippines, Department of Agrarian Reform - International Headed Projects.

International Fund for Agricultural Development. (2020). An independent evaluation of the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARM II) in the Philippines. Rome, Italy: IFAD Independent Office of Evaluation.