BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) turned over almost PHP17 million worth of common service facilities (CSF) to four agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in Negros Occidental Thursday morning.
Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Support Services Rosalina Bistoyong, who led the turn-over rites at Barangay Tabunan in Bago City, said the distribution of the CSFs was implemented through the agency’s sugar block farm project.
Recipients are Minaba Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Kabankalan City, Hacienda Esperanza ARB Association in La Carlota City, Hacienderos Agrarian Reform Cooperative and Binubuhan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, both in Bago City.
Each received one unit of four-wheel drive tractor, trailing harrow, disc plow, and trailer, or a total of 16 units of service facilities turned over by the agency.
Bistoyong said sugar block farming is a relatively new project which the DAR has embarked on to achieve economies of scale.
“By that, we mean a bigger production level by consolidating small pieces of land distributed to our ARBs,” she said, adding that it applies the concept that “if the farmers are given the chance to manage collectively, they can be able to produce more.”
Of the total 92 sugar block farms in the country, Negros Occidental has the highest, with 36.
The four recipient cooperatives and associations are comprised of 208 ARBs with a total of 1,192 members.
Bistoyong said the CSFs are considered as grant with equity for maintenance which can be taken back by the DAR if no longer utilized for its intended purpose.
On Wednesday, the DAR also turned over PHP9.3-million worth of farm-to-market road (FMR) project to an agrarian reform community in Valladolid town.
The 5.62-kilometer road, which connects Barangays Bayabas, Alijis and Pacol, is seen to benefit thousands of residents of the three barangays, the DAR-Negros Occidental II said.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Lucrecia Taberna, who led the turn-over rites at Barangay Bayabas, said residents of the three barangays and nearby villages could now travel conveniently and safely, and easily transport their agricultural produce to the town proper.
“The rehabilitated road brings hope and big change in the farmers’ way of living as their agriculture commodities would now be easily transported to the markets,” Taberna added. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
