ARBs lead by example in time with COVID-19 crisis

ARBs lead by example in time with COVID-19 crisis the same time we can be of help to the hospital),” said LAMUPCO Chairman Reynaldo Maido. It can be recalled that on March 25, 2020, LAMUPCO was able to deliver a total of 66 sacks of rice to Andres Soriano Memorial Hospital (ASMH) in Bislig City, 50 sacks to Barangay LGU of La Fortuna and 200 sacks for Barangay LGU of Sampaguita and Poblacion, Veruela, Agusan del Sur. PARPO Amatonding said that the department will never stop extending help to the farmers especially in this trying time. “We would like to assure our farmers that we value their heroic deeds despite the hurdles and that we are behind them as they exist to feed the world,” he said. (DAR-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances hit us for which we simply cannot prepare. The health crisis nowadays causes unspeakable pain to everyone especially for those unfortunate individuals earning daily.

By Rechel D. Besonia

When people are searching for meaning and a reason to hope, there is, however, some organizations that begin to heal by taking actions that demonstrate compassion towards each other. The Filipinas Palm Oil Plantation Inc. (FPPI) Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ARB MPC), an organization assisted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province has unleashed a compassionate response to some 681 members who were also ARBs by giving them their economic benefits amounting to P10.2-million. Coop Manager Jocelyn Palen said that the distribution of the benefits is supposed to be held at the time of the General Assembly, which is yet to be conducted due to the prohibition of mass gatherings following the

Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period. “Kasagaran sa GA jud namo ipanghatag ang mga maayuhon sa mga membro pero tungod kay nakita namo ang kalisod karong panahuna, among nasabutan nga amoa na ipang apud apod aron makapalit ang mga membro sa ilang mga panginahanglan taliwala sa kapit-os sa panahon karon tungod sa COVID-19 (Usually, we will distribute the benefits during the General Assembly, but because we see the need of our members nowadays we have decided to give what is due for them now so that they can buy the needs of their family),” she said. For the ARBs, the distribution of economic benefits earlier than expected is indeed an answered prayer for them especially now that they are stricken hard on how to deal with the daily needs of their respective families. “Dako gyud ni nga tabang sa amoa karon nga panahon kay ang akong panginabuhian isip usa ka panday naundang man tungod sa COVID-19. (This is a big help for us since I have just recently lost my job as a construction worker due to COVID-19),” said Lolito Damasing, one of the ARBs. Apart from the cash received by the ARBs, they were also given two liters of cooking oil and a polo shirt. For those ARBs residing outside Caraga, their share was sent through Palawan Express Padala or through their ATMs. PARPO II Jamil P. Amatonding Jr., on his part, commended the coop for leading a good example and for showing gestures that are comforting to the affected ARBs. (DAR-Agusan Sur/ PIA-Agusan del Sur) DAR-AgSur links farmers’ goods as LGU’s aid during COVID-19

By Rechel D. Besonia

ROSARIO, Agusan del Sur – As the nation faced the challenge brought by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Agusan del Sur has initiated to help the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) to become economically sustainable by linking them to possible buyers for their produce.

May 16-22, 2020 | 23

This initiative is an answer to the call of President Duterte under the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act (RA 11469) while placing the nation in a state of national calamity.

The Farmers Alternative for SelfReliance MultiPurpose Cooperative FASRMCO), in partnership with the La Fortuna MultiPurpose Cooperative (LAMUPOCO) has recently delivered a total of 2,000 sacks of milled rice to the local government unit of Rosario, Agusan del Sur, which will be used as an aid for the affected constituents of the Municipality while the province is placed under the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

FASRMCO Manager Ruben Isiderio himself is thankful for the assistance of DAR as the move has benefited more than 500 farmer-beneficiaries. “Thank you very much, DAR, for helping us in finding ways to dispose of our produce. This is a big help to our members who were also an Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries,” he said.

“Thank you as well to Mayor Jupiter Abulog for considering our ARBO to supply the rice demand of your Municipality, indeed this is a big help to the farmers like us in this time of crisis,” Isiderio added. PARPO Jamil P. Amatonding Jr., has always emphasized prioritizing the farmers and reach out to their needs especially that in this time of crisis, they are the ones who are the most affected. “We have partnered our ARBOs to the local government units and other entities to supply the demands of their respective Municipalities to ensure that the farmers will not be left behind while the rest are fighting against this dreadful virus,” he said.

DAR Provincial Investment and Marketing Assistance Officer (PIMAO) Corine G. Munion said that they are currently working on helping other ARBOs to partner with other Municipalities. “We are scheduled to deliver another batch of milled rice to Prosperidad in the coming days, thus we encourage other rice-producing ARBOs to participate,” said Munion. (DAR-Agusan Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Higit P100,000 halaga ng smuggled na kahoy, nakumpiska sa Rosario, AgSur By Jennifer P. Gaitano

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN - Sa isang retrieval operation kasama ang militar at Philippine National Police (PNP), nakumpiska ng mga kawani ng Community Environment and Natural Resources Office

Natuntun ito sa libilib ng Sitio Kosep, Barangay Bayugan 3 sa Bayan ng Rosario, Agusan del Sur. Ayon kay CENRO Jerome Albia ng Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, ang mga nakompiskang lauan na kahoy ay nasa kanilang kustodiya na ngayon sa barangay kalingayan sa bayan ng bunawan. Pinasalamatan din ni Albia ang kawani ng Municipal Environment Office dahil sa kanilang aktibong partisipasyon sa isinagawang retrieval operation. Binigyang-diin din niya ang

(CENRO) ang 42 piraso ng illegally-cut lauan flitches o kahoy na nagkakahalaga ng P118,625.

Agusan Norte coop gets P1.2-M equipment from DAR suportang ipinakita ng mga mamamayan sa nasabing komunidad na may malaking kontribusyon sa matagumpay na operasyon. Samantala, ayon naman kay Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix Alicer ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga, inutos na niya ang agarang imbistigasyon dito at nang makasohan ang nasa likod ng ilegal na gawaing ito. Dagdag ng opisyal, mula Enero hanggang Abril ngayong taon, nasa mahigit 200,000 board feet ng illegallycut logs at lumber products na ang kanilang nakumpiska at ito ay aabot na sa mahigit P8-milyong halaga. Kasabay nito, may 23 kaso na ang nai-file sa korte kung saan 40 na indibidwal ang humaharap sa mga kasong ito dahil sa paglabag nila sa forest protection laws ng bansa. (JPG/ DENR-13/PIA-Agusan del Sur) By Alexander Lopez

BUTUAN CITY – A cooperative, whose members are agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) - Agusan del Norte, recently received a tractor worth PHP1.2 million.

Provincial agrarian reform program officer Andre Atega told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday that the equipment’s provision is part of the DAR’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP). Atega said the CRFPSP is DAR’s response to the risks of climate change to agrarian reform communities (ARCs) and complies with the provisions of Republic Act 9729 or the Climate Change Act. Under the program, DAR’s interventions to the ARBs include capacity building for adaptation and mitigation practices and the provision of farm equipment and machinery aimed at building resiliency at the ARC levels, he said. Atega noted that DAR-Agusan del Norte turned over the farm equipment on Monday to the Avanceña Beneficiaries

NEW TRACTOR. Provincial agrarian reform program officer Andre Atega (4th from left) of the Department of Agrarian Reform - Agusan del Norte on Monday (May 18, 2020) leads the turnover of a brand-new farm tractor to the Avanceña Beneficiaries and Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, through its chairman Sergio Baguhin (2nd from right), in Butuan City. The four-wheel-drive power-35 HP tractor, with attachments that include a rotary tiller and trailer, is worth PHP1.2 million. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez) and Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ABFMPC), a DAR-assisted agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) in Agusan del Norte and one of the successful cooperatives in the area. Ellen Torralba, officer-in-charge chief agrarian reform program officer of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division of DAR-Agusan del Norte, said the equipment released to ABFMPC is a four-wheel-drive power-35 HP tractor with attachments that include a rotary tiller and trailer. “The equipment will help the members of ABFMPC increase their farm productivity, especially in palay farming,” Torralba said. She said the provincial agrarian reform office remains committed to providing more support services to the ARBs in Agusan del Norte through their respective ARBOs. Data provided by engineer Raul Hermoso, CRFPSP coordinator in DARAgusan del Norte, indicated that a total of 19 ARBOs have already benefited from the program from 2017 up to this year. Hermoso said about PHP11 million worth of pieces of machinery were already released to the ARBOs that benefited some 1,400 ARBs in the province. In a separate interview on Tuesday, Sergio Baguhin, chairman of May 16-22, 2020 | 27