DAR to launch its 3^rd Buhay sa Gulay project in Caloocan City

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is set to launch its 3rd urban vegetable farming dubbed as “Buhay sa Gulay” (BsG) project, on February 11, 2021, in an idle lot in Barangay 167, Sunriser Village, Caloocan City to promote farming and help reduce poverty, eradicate hunger, and contribute to food security among marginalized villages in Metro Manila.

DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said this is the 3^rd urban vegetable farming that will be launched in Metro Manila.

Caloocan City is following the successes now being experienced by St. John Bosco Parish in Tondo, Manila which have launched its urban vegetable farming October of 2020 and by Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City which launched its own Buhay sa Gulay project in a vast 7,000-hectare lot January 8, 2021.

Brother John said there are one hundred five (105) project participants who are residents of Sunriser Village and Vista Verde Executive Village identified as direct beneficiaries of “Buhay sa Gulay” project in Barangay 167, Caloocan City.

Castriciones said the urban vegetable farming project is a self-help start-up livelihood project where concerned government agencies and organizations will converge, share their resources, and offer an opportunity to enable the urban farmers to produce and eat fresh healthy vegetables and provide them with additional sources of income.

“This is a combined undertaking of the national government agencies, local government units, and community-based organizations led by the DAR, Department of Agriculture, the local government of Caloocan City, Agricultural Training Institute, residents of Barangay 165, 166, 167, and 168, and the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of Cavite and Rizal,” Castriciones said

The Buhay sa Gulay” project is in line with the small brother-big brother” development strategy, wherein mature, established, and progressive ARB organizations (ARBOs) of DAR provide support and assistance to marginalized dwellers, who are mostly informal settlers, much akin to newly organized ARBOS struggling to keep its members and organization functioning.

The event’s highlights include the ceremonial unveiling of the “Buhay sa Gulay” project, signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the vegetable planting ceremonies.

Signatories to this document are the DAR, represented by Calabarzon Regional Director Rene E. Colocar; Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” G. Malapitan; Congressman Dale “Along” R. Malapitan, Deputy Director Rosana P. Mula, Agricultural Training Institute; representative of ARBOs of Cavite and Rizal and Punong Barangays Victorio C. Dantes, Magdalena R. Gregorio, Antonio “Tony” L. Reyes and Crisanta S. Del Rosario of Barangay 165,166, 167 and 168 respectively.

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DAR Bicol Region provides highest support services accomplishment for 2020

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bicol Region is the top performer nationwide in terms of providing support services to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), registering 99.97 percent accomplishment rate based on the DAR year-end summative assessment of accomplishments for calendar year 2020 (CY) and planning conference for CY 2021 held in Olongapo City.

Former Bicol Regional Director Arnel S. Dizon said DAR Region 5 served a total of 50,213 ARBs in the entire region by providing the farmers with direct access to the agency’s various development interventions for 2020.

“I commend all of you, the entire workforce of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) for aggressively performing your jobs in the agrarian reform communities despite the uncomfortable situations just to deliver the needs of the ARBs—helping and guiding them to roar back to life and strengthen their organizations to face future disruptions especially in the post-pandemic era,” said Dizon.

He disclosed that various interventions were provided by the DAR through Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS), Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market with Microfinance (LinkSFARMM), Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP), Agricultural Production Credit Program (APCP), and other microfinance services, Farm Business School (FBS), Village Level Farms-focused Enterprise Development (VLFED), Sustainable Livelihood Support for Disaster Affected Areas (SLS), Wash-Focused Enterprise/Livelihood under Community-managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (CPWASH) project, major crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement, Agri-Insurance Program for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB-AIP), and Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Project or CLAAP, among others.

Dizon proudly announced that Bicol Region finished all its targets on support services delivery programs intended for ARBs before 2020 ended.

“I am very much satisfied by your impressive performances, based on all output indicators, especially your absolute dedication to serve our agrarian reform beneficiaries,” he said.

Former Assistant Regional Director for Administration Rodrigo O. Realubit, now OIC Regional Director said: “With our meager budget, we worked almost overtime to ensure all qualified beneficiaries will be assisted. We had to solidify the finances and expand our capacities just to serve even the farthest island barangays in a very challenging environment.”

PBDD Regional Chief Lerma Dino said DAR Bicol Region continued its focus on its mandated programs on empowering farmers to ensure that they stand out and remain productive despite all the tragedies, which include among others, the spread of Covid-19, successive typhoons, and heavy damages in almost all areas in the region last year.

“Through the ARBold Move to Heal as One project, we were able to give farm productivity assistance to 6,123 most affected Bicolano farmer-beneficiaries,” Dino said.

Dino also disclosed that the region has efficiently implemented the Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Project or CLAAP amounting to Php 51,825,000.00 with 98 diverse livelihood projects benefiting 2,073 ARBs regionwide.

These projects include agri-Inputs and rice trading, water refilling station, mushroom production and processing, duck egg production in the rice-based farming system, chicken egg layering and production, tiger grass sowing and soft broom-making, swine breeding cum feeds retailing business, palay trading and rice retailing, commercial communal swine growing and marketing in coastal communities, and integrated farming system (duck production, gabi production and natural piggery farming).

Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Romulo A. Britanico also lauded the all-encompassing support of the operations division, especially the field personnel who did their jobs along with PBDD personnel to reach out to people in the communities.

“I recognize the value of your endeavors that entirely placed Bicol on top to implement support services for our agrarian reform beneficiaries,” said Britanico.

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