DAR, CSU and LGUs to prime up Cagayan agribiz through ARC clusters

TUGUEGARAO CITY. The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes), in a meeting with the Cagayan State University, Tuguegarao campus, together with officials from the local government units of Tuguegarao, Iguig, Penablanca, Piat, Amulung, Solana, Tuao and Enrile held on November 15, 2013 disclosed a plan to create agrarian reform community clusters and that they have agreed and actually started to develop an integrated agribusiness plan to serve as a matrix of the rural enterprises to be undertaken in the ARC cluster.

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

The ARC Cluster shall be promoted as the convergence point of all government program implemented by government agencies such that each program and project is complimentary and supportive to each other. The strategy shall adopt a more comprehensive and integrated approach to rural development through collaborative efforts by all stake holders and partners. The bottom line objective is to improve productivity and income of the farmers by focusing agribusiness development of agro-industrial crops and to create economies of scale and active, harmonious and peaceful communities. Another aim of this strategy is to widen the impact area that the ARC Program has started. It is intended to concretely operationalize partnership and convergence of development interventions in the rural areas not only in ARCs but to include the Non-ARC communities. 

The Program  shall adopt a more comprehensive approach which is multi-disciplinary in character, and would try to integrate the spatial and physical development with the economic, social and institutional aspects for a given geographic area.

The Cagayan South ARC Cluster will take the lead in the implementation of the plan. The Cagayan South ARC Cluster is composed of agrarian reform communities in Tuguegarao City and in the municipalities of Piat, Amulung (West), Solana, Tuao and Enrile. The cluster has been created under the industry-based category and will be a major player in the grains and sugarcane industry.

The World Bank shall compliment DAR’s efforts in priming up the agribusinesses of the ARC cluster through funding from the World Bank-GROWTH project. The parties have committed to work together to prepare and eventually submit an integrated agribusiness plan for the Cluster ARC.

The Cagayan State University (CSU) through its College of Business, Entrepreneurship and Accountancy shall undertake to equip the members and officers of the key agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) with skills and capabilities to manage and operate the various agribusiness enterprises of their organizations. Photos by: Aldwin Addun

DAR-DOJ filing cases against illegal land conversions in Cagayan province

Meeting of the Cagayan DAR-DOJ Provincial Task Force 
on Illegal Conversion

TUGUEGARAO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes and the Department of Justice (DOJ), specifically, the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, during the meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Illegal Conversion sometime in October 2013 disclosed that the DARPO Cagayan-Batanes has already submitted a case folder to the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor involving a big housing developer in Tuguegarao City for undertaking a housing project over agricultural lands without filing an Application for Land Use Conversion before the DAR as required by law.

The case involved parcels of agricultural lands, some of which are covered under PD No. 27 (with Emancipation Patent) which were prematurely converted into non-agricultural/residential use. Land use conversion is the act or process of changing the current physical use of a piece of agricultural land into some other use, as approved by DAR.

            According to Virgilio M. Acasili, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II  (PARPO-II) of Cagayan-Batanes, the Joint Provincial Task Force on Illegal Conversion of Cagayan province composed of DAR and DOJ officials have intensified the campaign against illegal conversion of agricultural lands into non-agricultural uses. Other cases of this nature will be likewise transmitted to the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor immediately after the requisite investigation and case build-up are completed.

Agriculture could be carried out only in certain types of land. Thus agricultural lands should be rightfully considered a finite natural resource, further depletion of which would threaten national food security. In contrast, housing and industrialization for example, require land merely for space and may therefore be implemented in lands marginal for agriculture.

Section 65 of RA 6657 empowers the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to authorize under certain conditions, the reclassification or conversion and the disposition of lands awarded to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Opinion No. 44, the authority of DAR to allow land use conversion of agricultural lands into non-agricultural uses is not limited only to lands awarded under Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (RA No. 6657), as amended by RA No. 9700 (CARPER).  Any conversion of private agricultural land to non-agricultural use should be cleared beforehand by DAR.

An exception to this is when the land is already classified as commercial, industrial or residential before 15 June 1988, there is no longer a need for any conversion clearance. However, the authority of DAR to approve conversion may be exercised from the date of effectivity of the RA 6657, that is, June 15, 1988.

Illegal land use conversion is punishable under Paragraph (b), Article 73 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended by Republic Act No. 9700 and carries a penalty of 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. If the offender is a corporation or association, the officer responsible therefore shall be criminally liable. by:christiandsales

Amulung farmers receive indemnity thru Agri Insurance Program

AMULUNG, CAGAYAN, October 10, 2013-The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the PhilippineCrop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) distributed crop loss indemnity checks in favor of 161 affected agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who have availed of the DAR-PCIC Agrarian Reform Beneficiary-Agricultural Insurance Program (ARB-AIP) in Amulung, Cagayan, Cagayan province.

According to Virgilio M. Acasili, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) of Cagayan-Batanes offices (DARPO-Batanes has been annexed to DARPO-Cagayan), they distributed crop loss indemnity checks for Amulung town with a total amount of Php1,451,843.00 in favor of the 161 agrarian reform farmer-beneficiaries whose corn crops were destroyed by the recent drought. Also present during the distribution of crop loss indemnity checks were Atty. Marjorie P. Ayson, DAR Regional Director, Atty. Nicanor de Leon, Mayor of Amulung and other LGU officials who assisted the PCIC staff during the activity.

Crop loss indemnity payments were also made earlier to farmers in the municipalities of Alcala, Gattaran, Lasam, Solana, Sto. Nino and Tuao.

In Cagayan province, some 718.98 hectares of corn cultivated by 449 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) were destroyed by the recent draught, which prompted the payment of indemnity amounting to Php5,354,721.97 for the whole province.

The ARB-AIP is a P17.1 billion crop insurance coverage plan nationwide between the DAR and PCIC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), wherein the DAR provides a premium subsidy worth P1 billion.

The insurance program benefits agrarian reform beneficiaries who are members of agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs). It provides protection for over 224,000 enrolled ARBs and members of their households who are farming around 330,000 hectares of land and raising approximately 30,700 farm animals.

It is a safety net for ARBs against losses caused by crop pests, diseases, losses from damage of farm machineries  and also from the devastating unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change.

In addition, an ARB covered under the program shall receive protection against loss of life or limbs under an Accident and Dismemberment Security Scheme.  /christiandsales

MARO/OIC-CARPO Ador Malana celebrates 65th bday

After serving in government for forty years, two months and seven days, MARO Salvador Malana, as OIC of the DARPO-Cagayan Operations Division turned-over on August 27, 2013 the duties and responsibilities of the CARPO for Operations in favor of PARO Virgilio M. Acasili in the meantime, because a successor was not yet appointed at the time until the day of his 65^th birthday.

His career in the government service started in 1973 as Farm Management Technologist with a monthly salary of Php367 and was first assigned in Kalinga-Apayao for five years. After five years, he was promoted to Senior Agrarian Reform Technologist and transferred to Cagayan province. After another five years, he was promoted to Team Leader in Solana, Cagayan in charge of 4-5 municipalities clustered into a team office.

There was a reorganization in the Department in 1987 and in 1988, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was passed wherein he was designated as Chief of Operations for the whole Cagayan-Kalinga-Apayao-Batanes district office for a number of years, after which he settled to be a full time Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer up to the present.

Sometime in November 2012, he was offered by the Atty. Marjorie P. Ayson, DAR Region 02 Regional Director to lead and assume the position of CARPO for Operations in the DAR provincial office of Cagayan, but he declined and suggested that some younger MARO should be assigned as such.

However, a few weeks later, he was informed that a Special Order designating him as OIC-CARPO for Operations have been forwarded to DAR Central Office for confirmation by the Secretary of Agrarian Reform. Consequently, he efficiently and dutifully performed and discharged his responsibilities as CARPO for Operations for eight months prior to his retirement. 
During his stint as MARO, he was able to successfully implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is the various municipalities where he was assigned. Significant accomplishments include some hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands covered by the agrarian reform program owned by big and powerful (and sometimes hostile) landowners in Cagayan province, particularly in Solana, Piat, Tuao, Amulung. etc., resulting to the gerenration, registration and distribution of ownership documents in favor of farmer-beneficiaries such as emancipation patents (EPs) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs). 

        MARO Salvador Malana is more popularly addressed as “Manung Ador” by his co-employees and is known for his brotherly care and affection among the DARPO and field personnel. Considered as a senior MARO among his peers and full of experience, he is often approached and consulted for advice on various issues related to agrarian reform matters. /cds

ARBs receive indemnity thru DAR-PCIC Agri Insurance Program

Most of palay, corn destroyed during 3^rd quarter draught

A farmer-beneficiary receives indemnity check for his drought-damaged crops 

ALCALA, CAGAYAN -The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Philippine CropInsurance Corporation (PCIC) is presently distributing crop loss indemnity checks in favor of affected agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who have availed of the DAR-PCIC Agrarian Reform Beneficiary-Agricultural Insurance Program(ARB-AIP) in Cagayan province.

According to Virgilio M. Acasili, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) of Cagayan-Batanes offices (DARPO-Batanes has been annexed to DARPO-Cagayan), they have already paid some of the farmers through Land Bank checks in order for them to be able to at least purchase the seeds/inputs needed for the next planting season without having to resort to heavy borrowing from usurers.

The first and second batches of indemnity payments amounting to a total of Php5,354,721.97 were made for ARBs in the municipalities of Alcala, Amulung, Piat, Gattaran, Lasam, Solana, Sto. Nino and Tuao where some 718.98 hectares of palay and corn cultivated by 449 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) were destroyed by the draught. Another set of schedule for payments of crop indemnity for affected ARBs in other municipalities have been calendared within this month of October 2013.

The ARB-AIP is a P17.1 billion crop insurance coverage plan between the DAR and PCIC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), wherein the DAR provides a premium subsidy worth P1 billion.

The insurance program benefits agrarian reform beneficiaries who are members of agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan province.

The ARB-AIP will provide protection for over 224,000 ARBs and members of their households nationwide who are farming around 330,000 hectares of land and raising approximately 30,700 farm animals.

It is a safety net for ARBs against losses caused by crop pests, diseases; losses from damage of farm machineries; and also from the devastating unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change.

In addition, an ARB covered under the program shall receive protection against loss of life or limbs under an Accident and Dismemberment Security Scheme. By:christiandsales

Cagayan (North) ARBs receive ARB-AIP certificates of insurance coverage

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office 02 in Tuguegarao City distributed on August 7, 2013 during the opening ceremonies of the 4^th CARPER Anniversary celebrations at the Crown Pavilion and Hotel some 696 certificates of insurance coverage (CIC) under the DAR-DA/PCIC Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries-Agricultural Insurance Program (ARB-AIP).

The insurance program benefits some 696  agrarian reform beneficiaries (first batch) who are members in some 16 agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Cagayan province.

          The ARB-AIP is a P17.1 billion crop insurance coverage plan between the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), wherein the DAR shall provide a premium subsidy worth P1 billion.

The ARB-AIP will provide protection for over 224,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and members of their households who are farming around 330,000 hectares of land and raising approximately 30,700 farm animals nationwide. DAR shall identify who are the qualified ARBs under the program.

It is a safety net for ARBs against losses caused by crop pests, diseases; losses from damage of farm machineries; and also from the devastating unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change.

In addition, an ARB shall receive protection against loss of life or limbs under an Accident and Dismemberment Security Scheme.

The distribution ceremony was attended by DAR USEC Jose Z. Grageda, DAR Director Nestor Bayoneto, DAR Regional Director Marjorie P. Ayson, the different provincial and municipal agrarian reform officers, city and municipal mayors from the region, officials from DA-PCIC, and officers of the different ARBOs from Cagayan Valley, among others. /christiandsales 

The sweet Bugnay Wine of Sunrise Agrarian Reform Community

SUNRISE AGRARIAN REFORM COMMUNITY (Sunrise ARC) in Gattaran, Cagayan produces bugnay wine as a livelihood activity in addition to farming. The ARC is abundant in bugnay fruit wherein the old folks in the community commonly used as a remedy for arthritis, as a cleansing drink to cure imbalances in the body, etc.

Bugnay or Antidesma bunius L. is an edible fruit that dangle in bunches of 40-50 oviod-shaped fruits like small berries and grapes. It is easily mistaken for wild berries or grapes due to its color and size. Bugnay grows in the mountains and is native to the Philippines due to its tropical climate. From yellowish green to pale yellow or bright red to almost black when it is ripe, it is usually abundant from June to September.

It has acquired a higher value as a raw material for wine due to the increasing awareness of the benefits of red wine and has become an alternative to the more expensive imported wines.

A study has established that bugnay wine has phytochemicals, flavonoids, catechin, proyanidins (Procyanidins are  compounds found in red wine that are good for the blood vessels and considered as one of the factors attributed to the long life spans of the people from the southwest of France and Sardinia), vitamin B1 and B2.

The bugnay fruit, according to studies, possibly has compounds with potential cytotoxic properties and methanolic activities. It is rich in anti-oxidants and anti-carcinogenic properties. The anti-oxidants in bugnay wine, like red wine is said to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease. The alcohol content of bugnay wine also inhibits fat deposits in the arteries, reducing the occurrence of atherosclerosis or arteriosclerotic vascular disease.

After undergoing some training on fruit wine production, the members of the Sunrise Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Gattaran, Cagayan started to process and produce bugnay wine as a cooperative business which proved to be a lucrative endeavour as demand for their bugnay wine has increased.

It is being promoted in trade fairs where is one of the fast selling items. Production, however, is limited by the seasons as bugnay fruit is not available all year round.  However, whenever it is abundant, it is harvested and immediately processed resulting to increase in income of the cooperative. By:christiandsales

Outstanding DOST-SETUP beneficiaries awarded at NST Week celebration

Carne Ybanag of Lighthouse Cooperative is Region 02 awardee

SMX Convention Center, Manila. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) spearheaded the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia with a week-long exhibit, from July 23 to 27 (Tuesday to Saturday), 2013. Dubbed as ExpoScience 2013, it showcases the latest innovations and inventions of Filipino scientists and engineers, etc.

Senator Loren Legarda led the tour of the exhibition booths after the opening program. 

     The exhibit highlighted DOST technologies such as the Advanced MaterialsLaboratory (ADMATEL), a testing facility for semiconductors; the AutomatedGuideway Transit (AGT), an alternative transportation now being used at UP-Diliman; the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards or Project NOAH which is DOST’s  response for a more accurate, integrated, and responsive disaster prevention and mitigation system especially in high-risk areas throughout the Philippines; DOST’s Certified Seed Production program for improved agricultural productivity; and the other ICT-driven tools to make the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry more competitive, and many others. It also featured the ceremonial switching of Project NOAH’s 1,000 sensors expected to be installed within the year. Also featured was DOSTv, a web channel that provides 24/7 information on the weather.

     The Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) Forum was conducted on the second day of the NSTW celebration wherein sixteen (16) business firms/ SETUP beneficiaries were awarded as Outstanding SETUP Adopters: Tartland Baguio Pasarabo (CAR); Maglaya’s Woodcraft (Region I); Carne Ybanag-LighthouseCooperative (Region II); Amanda’s Marine Products (Region III); MFP Home of Quality Food Corporation (NCR); Farmtec Foods, Inc. (Region IV-A); Mindoro Progressive Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Region IV-B); Belen’s Pinahamis Na Pili, Atbp. (Region V); Trappist Monastic Food Products (Region VI); Total Woodcraft (Region VII); TAP’s Handmade Products (Region VIII); Woodtech Builders (Region IX); Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives (Region X); Rosario’s Fruit Stop (Region XI); Rafols Machine Shop and Engineering Services (Region XII); and Marjeck Food Products (CARAGA). Farmtech Foods, Inc. later received an award as the National Level Best SETUP Adopter.

     The DOST-SETUP is a banner program of the Department of Science and Technology. It is a nationwide strategy to  motivate, encourage and assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in improving their productivity and competitiveness  through the technology interventions like provision of the cost of equipment through Innovative System Support (ISS), technology trainings, product development, plant lay-out, equipment design with training for its utilization, laboratory tests of products, packaging and labelling, trainings on  Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), 5S, Hazard, Analytical, Critical and Control Point (HACCP), Energy Audit, Cleaner Production Technology (CPT), consultancy services through Manufacturing Productivity Extension (MPEX),  Consultancy on Agricultural Productivity Enhancement  (CAPE) and product promotion thru S&T Fairs, product flyers  and website development.

     For the last ten years of the program, it has generated over Php73 billion in sales, generated nearly 44,000 jobs, penetrated over 2,000 new markets and has Php0.5 billion fund for this year.  It is collateral-free, zero interest and proposal-driven funding that is payable to the DOST within a period of three (3) years. by:christiandsales

More photos:https://www.facebook.com/lighthousecoop/media_set?set=a.398816963556911.1073741834.100002858333858&type=1 

DOST, DAR, DA, et. al., sign Convergence MOU

SMX Convention Center. On the occasion of the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) at the SMX Convention Center in Manila, the cabinet secretaries (and  undersecretaries) from the Departmentof Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Departmentof Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) met and signed today a Convergence Memorandum of Understanding on Community-Based Sustainable Livelihood and Development Enterprises in the Countryside.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Convergence would move together the agencies involved and unite their efforts and activities with DOST to provide a combination of multiple services, programs, projects, technologies, and provide access to other developmental interventions that will promote sustainable development and access to programs such as DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP), among others. The DOST SET-UP is a more focused program of assistance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SET-UP is a nationwide strategy to encourage and assist SMEs to adopt technological innovations to improve their operations and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness.           This is of special interest to the DAR's agrarian reform communities (ARCs) project where agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) are transforming themselves into being farmer-entrepreneurs and agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) are now engaging into economies of scale through modernization under the DAR-ARCCESS program and the block sugar farming, among others. 

            This year’s NSTW theme is “Science, Technology and Innovation: The Road to a Smarter Philippines,” emphasizes the role of science and technology in improving the peoples’ future through DOST’s projects and services that will further socio-economic development through DOST’s technologies such as the Advance Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) which is the testing facility for the nation’s semiconductor industry; Automated GuidewayTransit (AGT) system (currently in use at UP-Diliman), an alternative transportation system; PROJECT NOAH as a tool to address climate change; DOST’s Certified Seed Production Program for the agricultural sector;  and other Internet Communication Technology (ICT) driven tools to make the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry more competitive.

The NSTW runs from July 23-27, 2013 (Tuesday until Saturday) at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City and will showcase the latest innovations, interventions and inventions of Filipino scientists, engineers and various works by the entire scientific community. /christiandsales

DAR-Cagayan (North) holds regular Legal Clinic in the barangays

The Department of AgrarianReform–Cagayan (DARPO-Cagayan), Legal Assistance Division has adopted another effective strategy in bringing its services to where it is needed most by conducting a scheduled legal clinic in faraway barangays throughout the province.

This is accomplished by a team from the DARPO Legal Division going to a certain barangay in a municipality coordinated with the DAR Municipal Agrarian Reform Office (DARMO). Upon arrival, simultaneous activities such as lectures, legal counselling and mediation groups attend to specific needs of the farmers. If the parties in a case requiring mediation are present, a mediation conference is instantly conducted by assigned legal officers which usually ends up with an amicable settlement.

According to Atty. Fatima Yadao, Chief of the Legal Division of DARPO-Cagayan, many agrarian disputes have been resolved on site, i.e., farmers do not have to travel to its office at the DARPO in Tuguegarao for the resolution of issues affecting landowner-tenant relationship and other agrarian disputes.

           The onsite legal forum also includes lectures and discussions about agrarian laws. An open forum elicits questions from farmers, landowners, farm workers and local officials (barangay and municipal officials) and other CARP stakeholders usually resolves issues that would have concluded in protracted and expensive litigations. Matters requiring more serious consideration are scheduled for resolution at the DARPO if warranted. 
/christiandsales

More photos: https://www.facebook.com/amarophil.cagayan/media_set?set=a.481467975261750.1073741849.100001956556263&type=3