DAR-IX Chronicles (January-March 2022)

Volume 20 No. 1

January - March 2022

1st Quarter

Zamboanga Sibugay ARBOS receive over P1.8-M Farm Machineries, Equipment from DAR to boost Farm Productivity

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Ten agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) receive farm machineries and equipment under the Department of Agrarian Reform - Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project amounting to P1,879,200 from DAR Provincial Office of Zamboanga Sibugay headed by PARPO II Moh. Dassan Adju.

en DAR-assisted Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay that wanted to boost their farm productivity received farm machineries and equipment consisting of power sprayer, rotavator/ power tiller, backpack sprayer, hand tractor, water pump and several garden tools under the Department of Agrarian Reform - Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) amounting to P1,879,200.

The recipient ARBOs in- eficiaries Cooperative (JARclude Baganipay Farmers and BECO), Camanga Irrigators’ Fisherfolks Association (BFFA), Association (CIA), Savings and Bagong Buhay Farmers, Fish- Lending Association of Pling erman, Out-of-School Youth, (SLAP), Tambanan Agrarian Women, IP's and Religious Reform Beneficiaries CooperAssociation (BFFOWIRA), Jo ative (TARBENCO), Tiholan Continue on page 2 Rubber Agrarian Reform Ben-

DAR holds Land Acquisition and Distribution Data Validation and Cleansing The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) IX held a Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) Data Validation and Cleansing on March

28-30, 2022, at Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City. The activity aims to cleanse the accomplishment data, firm up the Continue on page 3

Director Reynaldo Anfone of Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement together with DAR IX Officials, RD Ramon E. Madroñal, Jr., ARD Agnes Y. Maata, PARPO II Rizzel B. Villanueva of Zamboanga del Norte, PARPO II Moh. Dassan Adju and PARPO I Lorna Salera of Zamboanga Sibugay discusses issues and concerns regarding DAR IX’s LAD Data Validation and Cleansing.

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January - March 2022

Zamboanga Sibugay ARBOS receive over P1.8M Farm Machineries, Equipment from DAR to boost Farm Productivity Continued from page 1

and Azusano Irrigators’ Association, and Buenavista Agrarian Reform Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BARMPC).

In a statement, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Mohammad Dassan Adju said that with the additional farm machineries, farmers would be able to improve their farm production, and will certainly increase their livelihood income.

He further added that the garden tools were provided to encourage agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to engage in additional livelihood (such as gardening) to augment their source of income, especially during this time of the pandemic.

According to Jose Chris Baang, Treasurer of BFFOWIRA, the assistance is of great help to their members. "Maka-save na ang mga farmers ug

dako (farmers can save a lot)," he said.

Meanwhile, Manager Florencio Suazola of BARMPC, on behalf of their cooperative, committed to look after the equipment as he conveyed his gratitude for the support and continued assistance of DAR. Finally, PARPO Adju emphasized the importance of maintaining the good image of their ARBOs so that they will continue to receive support and assis-

tance not only from DAR, but from other agencies as well.

The Department of Agrarian Reform Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project, aside from its delivery of farm machineries and equipment, also conducted trainings for the ARBs to help develop their agricultural productivity and boost their income and build their resiliency in managing climate change issues.

‘Tulay ng Pangulo para sa kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo’ breaks ground On January 13, 2022, the municipal government of Mutia, headed by Mayor Lorrymir S. Adasa, initiated a Groundbreaking Ceremony of the “Tulay ng Pangulo para sa Kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo” at Head-tipan, Mutia, Zamboanga del Norte.

The project is a double lane modular steel unibridge with a total length of 28.8 linear meter and with a bridge width of 7 meters. It involves a nationwide constructions of 418 builder unibridge from France. It also has 13.5 roads or road approaches before and after the construction of the bridge.

"I am anticipating that through this project, our ARBs will have better access to market their products and eventu-

ally improve their lives," PARPO II Rizzel B. Villanueva said during the event.

According to MARPO Anjanette V. Nemiaga, the bridge connected the Villages of Barangay Diland and Head-tipan, and the project will benefit roughly 50 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from adjacent barangays.

During the event, Engr. Norman Puy from the DPWH gave his overview on the said project. The two Barangay Captains of Head-Tipan and Dilan, Hon. Rodelo Dalogdog and Hon. Cerilo Bolo, also gave their commitments and insights regarding the project. The event was also attended by MARPO Anjanette V. Nemiaga, SB Members of Mutia and Officials and Employees of LGU Mutia.

PARPO II Rizzel B. Villanueva and Mayor Lorrymir S. Adasa during the groundbreaking ceremony of Tulay ng Pangulo para sa Kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo at Head-tipan, Mutia, Zamboanga del Norte.

January - March 2022

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DAR Zambo Sur Kicks Off CAP-PBD activities for Alang-Alang Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative DAR Zamboanga del Sur conducted activities on Credit Assistance Program for Program Beneficiaries Development or CAP-PBD which included pre-availment activities/training and program presentation, and discussion of required loan documents to qualify for the availment of the credit assistance program from the Alang-alang Agrarian Reform Cooperative at Alang-alang, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur. CAP-PBD is a financing program implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform and Land Bank of the Philippines to provide credit assistance to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs)/agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) members at a very minimal cost for their ventures in crop production, enterprise, livelihood and marketing support. The program, which intends to help ARBOs, imposes a very minimal interest of 5% per annum and payable in 6 months, just in time for the farmers' harvest. There is

The officers of Alang-alang Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Cooperative at Alang-alang, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur during the kick-off activities like the pre-availment activities/training cum program presentation and discussion of required loan documents to qualify in the availment of the credit assistance program under the Credit Assistance Program for Program Beneficiaries Development or CAP-PBD of DAR-Land Bank of the Philippines. also no collateral needed for the availment of the loan as long as the proponent ARBO will comply the requirements and will be endorsed by the DAR Provincial Office of Zamboanga del Sur. Before its availment, the ARBO Officers must be equipped with capability development trainings

to empower them in managing and handling the business activities in the organization. In addition, the crops of eligible farms of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) under the production loan will also be provided with a crop insurance through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corpora-

tion (PCIC).

Business Planning Training for Alang-Alang Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (AARBENCO) will also be conducted in the coming days since business plan is one of the requirements to qualify for the program.

DAR holds Land Acquisition and Distribution Data Validation and Cleansing remaining targets occurred, remaining targets of DAR thresh out issues and concerns, IX, and figure out what else and make the necessary correcare still needed to be done to tions and firm up the database. complete the land acquisition The participants were expected and distribution program of to have a corrected Land Tenthe region. ure Improvement (LTI) OperaThe said activity also aimed tional Tool (Optool) data and a to trace where the errors in the firmed-up database.

Continued from page 1

Participants of the activity were the third level officials of DAR IX, Land Tenure Services (LTS) Division Chiefs, Geodetic Engineers, Monitoring and Evaluation/OpTool administrators, Planning Officers, and Regional LAD Balance Evaluation Team (RLBET)/Provincial

LAD Balance Evaluation Team (PLBET) point persons.

The occasion was graced by the presence of the Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement Director Lilibeth G. Lee, Director Reynaldo C. Anfone, and other DAR Central Office personnel.

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January - March 2022

DAR Zamboanga Sibugay Distributes Farm Machineries, Equipment to ARBOs under Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program

PARPO II Moh. Dassan Adju together with PARPO I Lorna Salera leads the distribution of farm equipment to the president and representatives of the six (6) recipient agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations.

In its continuous implementation of the EPAHP program, DARPO Zamboanga Sibugay, through its Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Support Program (ARBDSP) division, distributed farm machineries and equipment to six out of eight identified Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations, (ARBOs) namely: Patalon Estate Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Corporation of Patalon, Zamboanga City; Silingan Rubber Farmer's Association of Silingan, R.T. Lim Zamboanga Sibugay; Palo-

moc Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Palomoc, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay; Dansulao Integrated Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Dansulao, Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay; Small Water Impounding System Association of Mate, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay; and Tomitom Rubber Farmer's Association of Tomitom, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

The distribution was made on January 17, 2022, at the DAR Provincial Office, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

DARPO head PARPO II Mohammad Dassan Adju, together with PARPO I Lorna Salera and ARBDSP Chief CARPO Anthony Teves, personally led the distribution of the farm equipment to the president and representatives of the recipient ARBOs. With a total project cost of P1,645,300, DARPO Zamboanga Sibugay was able to turnover farm equipment (such as rotavator/power tiller, power sprayer, garden rake, backpack sprayer, wheel barrow, spade/ shovel, pruning shear, waterpump) based on the identified

needs of the recipient ARBOs. Some 1, 077 agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs), with 563 women and 514 men, are expected to benefit from this project.

DARPO Zamboanga Sibugay is set to schedule the distribution of the same machineries and equipment to the remaining beneficiaries - the Buluan Community Cooperative of Buluan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and JR Garcia Multi-Purpose Cooperarive of Villagonzalo, Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay.

January - March 2022

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A Transformational Leader

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teps in success are indeed a combination of knowledge and action.

This is the guiding principle of Atty. Ramon E. Madroñal, Jr., the newly appointed Regional Director of DAR Region IX. Atty. Madroñal has been the OIC-Director of DAR Region IX since 2020.

On March 4, 2022, however, President Rodrigo R. Duterte appointed him Director IV, making him a full-pledged Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

This long-overdue promotion is the good Director’s reward for his exemplary performance as head of the agency tasked primarily to implement the agrarian reform program in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Director Madroñal was born in Tudela, Misamis Occidental but has been a longtime resident of Zamboanga City.

He is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting at the La Salle University in Ozamis City. He finished his Bachelor of Laws at the Universidad de Zamboanga in Zamboanga City.

His first stint in government service was as contractual Clerk in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). His early years in public service were not all rainbows and butterflies, those years were a test of strength and character.

Switching attention between family, work, and studies is something that a young man of ambition has to hurdle.

Reminiscing his grueling days in law school, RD Mon shared: “Just like anyone aspiring to

appointment. “You just have to work hard, stay consistent, and be patient,” he added.

Soft spoken as he is, RD Mon learned to appreciate people, encouraged new ideas, developed effective working methods and acquired the trait of being always open to different opinions as he started from the lower rank.

In this era of the millennials, Director Madroñal considers himself a “techy” who adopts the use of technology and modern innovations with gusto at the workplace. He believes that being fully oriented with the advancement in technology increases the productivity in the office. In his 29th years in the organization, Atty. Ramon E. Madronal, Jr. displayed unwavering commitment towards excellence and dedication to service, embodying the traits of an ideal public servant.

He admits to have honed his leadership and management skills over time. He has mastered the art of working with teams leaving beyond personal interests in order to identify the needed change. Indeed, RD Mon’s success comes from creating a vision to guide the needed change through inDAR IX Regional Director Atty. Ramon E. Madroñal, Jr. fluence, inspiration, and comHe rose from the ranks and mitted action along with the become lawyer, I spent sleepless nights preparing for the worked his way up to become members of his team. dreaded BAR.” His recent con- the chief of the Legal Assistance Finally, our newly promotferment as full-fledged Region- Division, then as Assistant Di- ed Regional Director takes al Director is a clear manifesta- rector for Administration, and great pride in his contribution tion that sacrifices paid off. “It finally as Regional Director. to uplift the lives of agrarian was an arduous task but I never “Results definitely happen over reform beneficiaries and small gave up until the end,” he add- time, not overnight,” his reply holder farmers in Region IX. ed. RD Madroñal has begun his when asked about how he man- These and more, truly make career in the DAR as a Legal As- aged to cope up waiting for the him a transformational leader sistant in 1993. well-deserved yet long-overdue in these trying times.

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Agrarian Reform Chronicles

January - March 2022

22 DAR-TESDA Scholars Graduate in Organic Agriculture Production NC II

Some 22 beneficiaries of DAR-TESDA scholarship program, who are dependents of agrarian reform beneficiaries, have graduated in Organic Agriculture Production NC II at Labakid Covered Court in the town of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Some 22 DAR-TESDA ries (ARBs), have graduated in scholars, who are dependents Organic Agriculture Producof Agrarian Reform Beneficia- tion NC II (Training for Work

Scholarship Program). The Department of Agrarian Reform in Zamboanga del Norte, in

partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Dipolog School of Fisheries (DSF) held the graduation rites at Labakid Covered Court in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte on March 14, 2022.

The scholars received certificates of recognition during the ceremony and are now deemed ready for the responsibilities that await them.

The activity was graced by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, Rizzel B. Villanueva, together with Provincial Director of TESDA, Miraluna N. Baje-Lopez, Vocational School Administrator, Licinio G. Lañojan, Barangay Chairman, Rolando F. Bagaan, ARPO I / Coordinator Grace Maligro, MARPO Isolde L. Lopez, TESDA, DSF and DAR employees and staff.

UDARBA Opens New Business Enterprise Keeping afloat even during the Covid-19 pandemic and being sensitive to their members' needs, the Upper Dimorok Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (UDARBA) of Upper Dimorok, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur, opened a new business enterprise -- buying and selling of copra, corn, and charcoal.

Originally, UDARBA had lending, consumer store, and postharvest facilities as their main initiatives that generated income for the association to survive.

The new business feats were borne during the pandemic because their members had a hard time in marketing their produce

due to the strict Covid-19 protocols.

From the meager capital of P20,000, it flourished and grew to P50,000.

Because of this drive, the Department of Agrarian Reform Zamboanga del Sur held a training for the agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) officers and ARB members for them to gain more knowledge on how to properly run their businesses.

The Financial Management cum Farm Planning and Budgeting was held on March 8, 2022 at Upper Dimorok, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur. Outputs of the activity were Farm and Budget Plans which will be presented during the General Assembly in June 2022 to be approved by the members.

The officers of the Upper Dimorok Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association of Upper Dimorok, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur during the Financial Management cum Farm Planning and Budgeting held on March 8, 2022.

January - March 2022

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DAR Hands Over Fertilizers, Herbicides to Sibugay ARBOs

Fertilizers and herbicides are given to four ARBOs in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay who are mainly engage in rubber farming to include the Timbabauan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization, Silingan Rubber Farmers’ Association, Tambanan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization and Goodyear Agrarian Reform Beneficaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative .

Four Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs), assisted under project ConVERGE of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), recently received fertilizers and herbicides from DAR Provincial Office (DARPO), Zamboanga Sibugay.

This is aimed at improving and enhancing their rubber production capacity.

The ARBOs, which are mainly engaged in rubber farming, include Timbabauan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization in Timbabauan, Tungawan; Silingan Rubber

Farmers Association in Silingan, R.T Lim; Tambanan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization in Tambanan, Naga ; and Goodyear Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Goodyear, Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Funded under the Pro-

duction Capitalization Fund component of the Project ConVERGE amounting to P2,815,400, the fertilizers and herbicides were directly delivered to the ARBO's respective warehouses under the supervision of DARPO Zamboanga Sibugay personnel.

Volume 20 No. 1

January - March 2022

DAR Zamboanga del Sur celebrates Women’s Month Culmination

1st Quarter

EDITORIAL STAFF Editors-in-Chief

MA. SOCORRO C. REAMBONANZA SUZETTE T. LOTA

Contributing Editors

JASMINE B. ALIM MAY CHRISTINE V. BOMEZ LEILANI VIC S. VALDEZ APRIL BALASUELA JULLIENNE TUAZON KATRIN ANN ARCALA

Editorial Consultants ATTY. RAMON E. MADROÑAL JR. Regional Director ATTY. MARCELIMO S. MARATA Assistant Regional Director for Admin. & Legal Services DAR officials and staff of DAR Provincial Office of Zamboanga del Sur headed by PARPO II Arturo N. Soria together with the newly installed Assistant Regional Director for Support to Operations and Legal Services, Atty. Marcelino S. Marata during the culmination activity of the Women’s Month Celebration.

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he Women's Month Culmination was held with much gusto by the DAR Zamboanga del Sur on March 31, 2022, just hours after the installation of the new DAR Officials for the province and in Region IX. This year’s Women’s who emphasized the roles of Month Celebration theme is hardworking women as the "AGENDA ng KABABAIHAN, mother, wife, partner, orgaTungo sa Kaunlaran" under nizer, breadwinner, adminisits global theme "WE MAKE trator, manager, disciplinarCHANGE WORK FOR WOM- ian, children's first teacher, EN." The month-long cele- and the queen in the family, bration was concluded with proving that women indeed an empowering message by play multifaceted roles in the PARPO II Arturo N. Soria, family and society. DAR Re-

gional Director, Atty. Ramon E. Madroñal Jr., also emphasized the empowered women in the economy and their roles in obliterating gender gaps.

Newly installed PARPO I, Engr. Josephine Sisican, introduced the lecturer of the event, Assistant Regional Director for Admin and Legal Services, Atty. Marcelino Marata. The latter discussed the different faces, forms, and aspects of sexual harassment

ENGR. AGNES Y. MAATA, CESO IV ARD for LTS/TASS

For inquiries, please write or call the DAR Regional Office IX, Veterans Avenue Extension, Zamboanga Telephone No. (062) 955-2155 Email add: dar_reg9@yahoo.com

in work, education, or training-related places. He also talked about the measures one can take in preventing these from occurring, the actions the harassed can take, and the laws protecting the vulnerable women.