P124 million alloted for Aklan ARCs

Kalibo, Aklan—Since year 2002, the Department of Agrarian Reform- Asian Development Bank-Agrarian Reform Communities Project (DAR-ADB-ARCP) is the single biggest donor of foreign assistance that generated support to the five agrarian reform communities in Aklan in the amount of P124 M.

According to Atty. Daniel Y. Martelino, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer of Aklan, the accumulated sum covers physical infrastructure such as farm-to market roads and irrigation in the amount of P112.5 million, the latest to be approved is the P3.2 M farm to market road at Agbalogo, Makato, Aklan. The agricultural development support and land tenure improvement plus the project management costs P11.5 million. The above stated support covers the assisted ARCs such as Altavas ARC, Agbalogo Expansion ARC, in Makato, Fatima ARC in Malinao and Timbaban ARC in Madalag, Aklan.

Currently, an ADB Review Mission team is making its rounds at selected project sites to evaluate project implementation as well as to study impacts on the lives of the agrarian reform beneficiaries who are the actual recipients of the projects. The Review Mission Team is headed by Mr. Tetsuro Miyazato and Ms. Carol Quintos.

In Altavas, Hon. Denny D. Refol and his staff cordially welcomed the team as Hon. Ramon S. Legaspi, Jr. of Makato, Aklan and the beneficiaries warmly presented the improvement attained by the communities. Meanwhile, Hon. Dominador Ilio, Jr. the chief executive of Malinao also received the team in his municipality as community consultation and dialogue between the mission and the beneficiaries transpired.