BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) turned over PHP23.5 million worth of common service facilities (CSFs) to five agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in Negros Occidental on Wednesday.
The turn-over and trust agreement signing rites, held at Bacolod Pavillon Hotel, was led by DAR-6 Regional Director Stephen Leonidas and Assistant Regional Director for Support Services Antonio del Socorro.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Silay City Mayor Mark Golez received the symbolic key to the facilities on behalf of the beneficiaries under the coverage area of the DAR-Negros Occidental I.
At least 200 member-beneficiaries from the five northern Negros ARBOS cultivating almost 249 hectares of sugarcane and other crops will benefit from the farm machineries distributed under the agency’s Sugar Block Farm (SBF) and Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) programs.
Recipients under the SBF program were the Progreso Agrarian Reform Cooperative from Barangay Kapitan Ramon in Silay City, which received a unit of farm tractor along with a six-wheeler dump truck, disc plow, disc harrow and five-tonner trailer; and the Don Esteban Agrarian Reform Cooperative from Barangay Jonob-jonob in Escalante City, which obtained one unit of six-wheeler dump truck.
Under the CRFPS, beneficiaries were the Hagnaya Agrarian Reform Cooperative from Barangay Tabun-ac in Toboso town; Caridad Farmers Association from Barangay Luna in Cadiz City; and Camille-Reicon Farmworkers Association from Barangay E. Lopez in Silay City. Each of the three received one unit of farm tractor with implements, including disc plow, disc harrow, and three-tonner trailer.
The SBF program seeks to improve the productivity of sugarcane farmers collectively managed by cooperatives, while the CRFPS project aims to develop and sustain farm productivity through the provision of equipment and inputs to enhance and sustain high yield amid the vulnerability to climate change.
Del Socorro said the turned over facilities are expected to boost the production efficiency level of the recipient-ARB organizations.
“These are not donated yet considering the bureaucratic limitations with the Commission on Audit. They can use it for as long as they want, but in the event that they will not use the machineries anymore, we can retrieve these and transfer them to other ARBOs in need,” Del Socorro said.
In March, the DAR also turned about PHP17 million worth of similar facilities to five ARB organizations in southern Negros. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)