Farmer group’s
dream turns into reality, thanks PBBM, DAR
![hauling trucks turn-over](../../news_clips49/farmer-dream.jpg)
Two
hauling trucks were turned over to the Canmarating, Odiongan,
Pagsang-an, Sulpa Irrigators Association (COPS-IA) in Abuyog,
Leyte and the Barangay Agutayan Farmers Association (BAFA)
in Hilongos, Leyte under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s
Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities (SuRe
ARCs) project. |
By
JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
April 1, 2023
TACLOBAN CITY – In
his inaugural message on June 30 last year, President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr. repeatedly said “Pangarap nyo ay pangarap ko!” as he
stressed what every Filipino should expect in the next six years
under his administration.
On Monday, Rodrigo Alumbro,
president of the Canmarating, Odiongan, Pagsang-an, Sulpa Irrigators
Association (COPS-IA), said “Pangarap lang po namin (ito), ngunit
ngayon nagkatotoo na,” as he expressed their organization’s
gratitude to the President and the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) for the latest assistance extended to them, a six-wheeler
hauling truck.
On March 27 this year at
the DAR Regional Office in this city, Director Ronald Gareza of the
Bureau of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development (BARBD) at DAR
Central Office, represented agrarian reform secretary, Conrado
Estrella III, in turning over two 15-feet dropside six-wheeler
hauling trucks to two agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs)
in Leyte.
Both vehicles have a
combined amount of P3.998 million taken from the agrarian reform
fund (ARF).
Gareza disclosed that the
present administration restored back the ARF to finance assistance
projects for the ARBs.
For this year, Gareza
further disclosed, P7.5 billion had been earmarked under ARF to
implement the Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities
(SuRe ARCs) project.
COPS-IA and the Barangay
Agutayan Farmers Association (BAFA) based in the towns of Abuyog and
Hilongos, respectively, are the initial recipients of the SuRe ARCs
project in Eastern Visays.
Gareza explained to the
recipients that the SuRe ARCs project is being implemented purposely
to finance projects for rice, corn and coconut areas.
According to him, “In SuRe
ARCs, we are contemplating na magkaroon ng magandang negosyo ang
ating mga ARBO na binigyan nito.”
“You will be operating as
a competent organization that can handle at least 50 hectares
plantation in order for you to go into successful business,” Gareza
told the recipient ARBOs.
COPS-IA covers 181
hectares of rice fields, but only 130 hectares can be reached by the
irrigation system, said Alumbro, while BAFA president, Vicenta Jaray
disclosed that their organization covers more than 60 hectares of
coconut lands.
Aside from the hauling
truck, Gareza, assisted by DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director
Robert Anthony Yu, also turned over four units of deshelling
machines with a total worth of P600 thousand to BAFA for their copra
business.
Jaray said as she thanked
DAR officials, “Masayang-masaya kami dahil nakakatulong kami sa mga
farmers namin lalo ngayon na ang labor ay mahal.”
“Yung truck naman,
malaking tulong ito sa amin dahil hindi nakakapasok yung malaking
truck sa niyugan,” she added.
Meanwhile, COPS-IA was
advised to convert into a cooperative to be able to engage in rice
trading business.