Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries in Antique avails support
SAN JOSE, Antique – More than 1,081 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in three municipalities in the province will avail of Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project Phase III (ARISP-III) under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Marlyn B. Salvani, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II said that ARISP III is a continuation of services previously implemented in other Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in the past years and has been instrumental in providing access in terms of social services and enterprises/market of local products to people in remote barangays.
A government project with loan from Japan Bank of International Cooperation and the Agrarian Reform Fund, ARISP aims to reduce poverty, unemployment by developing agri-enterprises, making food plentiful and enhancing the enabling mechanism for economic activities, said Salvani.
During the program orientation conducted at Kanyugan Restaurant recently, the Department of Agrarian Reform local office reported the ARCs in the towns of Pandan (Santa-Ana and San Joaquin) with 355 ARBs, Laua-an (Guinbanga-an, Maria and Jaguiquican) with 312 ARBs and Valderrama (Buluangan 1&2 and Canipayan)- 404 ARBs. Representatives from the local government units concerned and partner agencies, the National Irrigation Administration and Department of Public Work and Highways as partner agencies attended the orientation.
ARISP III covers the following project components: Infrastructure Development Support which include Farm to market roads, Agrarian Information and Marketing Center, Irrigation Structures and Potable Water Supply and Institutional Development which covers Primary Cooperative Development and organization of Water User's Group.
Salvani enjoined concerned local government units to come up with Agrarian Reform Community Development Plan stating all proposed infrastructure projects and other institutional development needs of the ARCs for funding donors to study the proposals. (PS Mabaquiao/PIA)