TAGAYTAY CITY – More than 6,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) have gained access to credit and business development services by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Western Visayas in the first six months this year.
DAR-VI Regional Director Eugene Follante said this during the department’s 2018 mid-year performance review and planning session in Tagaytay City Wednesday.
Follante said 68 agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBOs) were provided with access to credit through the government’s Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) and other lending institutions in the region.
He said the 68 ARBOs covered 2,851 ARB-members.
“We want more farmers to get access to credit. That’s why we are intensifying our efforts in evaluating proposal for credit to ARBs,” Follante said.
Follante also said that 92 ARBOs involving 3,175 ARBs were provided with various business development services such as product development, entrepreneurship and market-linkage.
“These are various trainings for ARBO members geared towards enhancing and improving their agri-enterprises. If their businesses thrive, their household income will increase too,” Follante said.
DAR-Public Assistance and Media Relations Service Director Resty Osias said the agrarian department’s performance review and planning session is conducted from July 24-27 to resolve and address problems in implementing agrarian reform. (PR/PNA)