DAR to distribute farm lands, machines to Region 12 tillers
ATotal of 6,519 hectares of agricultural lands are set for distribution to 3,541 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said.
Soccsksargen is composed of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City.
In a statement, DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones said with the massive distribution of farm land, the agricultural sector in the region is expected to further improve.
Aside from land, the DAR is also set to turn over P63.4 million worth of support services, including 2 farm-to-market roads, a bridge, 11 hauling trucks and various equipment to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOS) during two separate ceremonies on April 13 and 14.
Castriciones said DAR’S intervention will help uplift the lives of the farmers.
He believes that “giving these thousands of landless farmers a land of their own would inspire them to work harder to make it productive, thus would eventually, result in region-wide agricultural productivity.”
“They will not be alone in improving their newly acquired properties because the DAR will provide them with the necessary support services. A holistic approach in alleviating poverty in the countryside and ensuring the country’s food security, the department extends its services to post-land distribution.”
The agrarian reform chief said DAR provides them with farm machinery, farm inputs, infrastructure projects, credit facilities, and training, among other things that would enable the farmers to sustain their farming needs.
The recipient-arbs are from the provinces of South Cotabato, with 1,389 recipients; Sultan Kudarat, 1,313; Sarangani, 535; and Cotabato, 304.
The DAR would also distribute a total of P24.59-million worth of farm inputs, farm, and office equipment, and 11 hauling trucks to various ARBOS and farmers’ cooperatives in the region.
The recipient-arbos include Vineyard ARB Cooperative, Tinagacan ARB Cooperative, Domolok Tokawal Irrigators Association, Tolentino Communal Irrigators Association, Sapu Masla Taliawid Producers Cooperative, Tuguis Tambilil Irrigators Association Inc, Badtasana Farmers Irrigators Association, Kalamansig Para sa Kalikasan, Kapayapaan At Kaunlaran, New Calinog Women’s Association, SAMAKAN Multi-purpose Cooperative and Sitio Lagon Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative.
Infrastructure projects aimed at making transporting of agricultural goods faster and cheaper would be turned over during the event. The P20-million bridge in General Santos City and 2 farm-to-market roads, with a combined cost of P18.8-million, in the province of Sultan Kudarat will be turned over and implemented through Tulay ng Pangulo Project and the Italian Agrarian Reform Community Development Support Program Project, respectively.
Soccsksargen Regional Director Marion Abella said that alongside the land distribution and turn-over of support services, several activities will be undertaken like the showcasing of crops produced by the various ARBOS in the region: the Dar-to-door land title distribution and the site visitation of Buhay sa Gulay Project, an urban farming initiative of the DAR, in the cities of Tacurong, General Santos, and Koronadal.