The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA) in the province of Batangas turned over farm inputs and seedlings to Guinhawa Farmers Association located in Tuy, Batangas several days after the two (2) agencies witnessed the successful harvest festival of the organization of their organic vegetables.
“Even in the midst of the pandemic, DAR Batangas continues in its mandate to assist the ARBs and provide them with support services through the various government agencies. The Guinhawa Farmers Association have proven that they are eligible to be provided with support services, specifically to maintain their organic farming in Tuy,” said Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Marilou Baslan.
Baslan said the farm inputs and seedlings were provided under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) and aims to elevate and improve the quality of life of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) living in this province.
“DAR Batangas appealed to the DA Regional Office IV-A officials led by OIC-Regional Executive Director Vilma Dimaculangan for assistance to provide the members of the organization with training and other support services related to organic farming,” she said.
Baslan said that the DAR-assisted Batangas agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) received seeds and other equipment for planting and harvesting vegetables from the DA Regional Office with the assistance from Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer (APCO) Fidel Libao several days after the successful organic vegetable harvest festival of the organization held this October.
“I realized that they need more equipment and seeds to make their harvest better for their next planting activity to give them a better income,” said Libao.
The Batangas cooperative expressed their gratitude for the blessings that the organization received from the DAR and other government agencies.
“I, together with my colleagues at the Guinhawa Farmers Association, are grateful to the DAR and DA for the farm inputs and seedlings we could use for planting and harvesting vegetables. This is a big help to the organization especially since we are just starting organic farming and vegetable gardening,” said Guinhawa Farmers Association manager Irene Abe.
Currently, the organization has 82 members and 43 of them are ARBs. -rir
