PALAYAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), has awarded over P9.5 million in loans to two agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in Nueva Ecija to support enterprise development and agricultural resilience.
Released through ceremonial checks, the Farmers Joint Venture Agriculture Cooperative in the Science City of Muñoz received P6,271,800, while the Santa Lucia Old Multipurpose Cooperative in Zaragoza was granted P3,295,000.
The financial assistance was provided through the Accessible Loans for Empowered, Resilient, and Transformed (ALERT) ARBO Credit Program, which aims to offer ARBOs timely, adequate, and affordable credit to expand agribusiness ventures, purchase essential inputs, and improve the livelihoods of their members.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Eden Ponio said the selection of qualified ARBOs follows specific criteria aligned with the objectives of LBP’s credit program.
“Unang-una po, siyempre, dapat po mga lehitimong mga [ARBOs] po. Number two po, siyempre, yung may kakayahan silang makapagbayad. So, ’yun pong mga proposals na ’yan ay piniprepare po nang kasama ang [LBP]. Tayo po sa DAR ang nag-a-identify ng mga qualified. At our level, at least alam natin kung sino po ’yung mga qualified ARBOs na puwedeng tumanggap ng mga pagpapautang ng ating pamahalaan (First and foremost, they must be legitimate [ARBOs]. Second, they must have the capacity to repay. The proposals are prepared in coordination with [LBP]. At DAR, we are the ones who identify those who are qualified. At our level, we at least know which ARBOs are eligible to receive loan assistance from the government),” she explained.
The awarding of checks was among several activities recently conducted by DAR at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center in Palayan City.
In addition to the loan awarding, the event also included the distribution of Emancipation Patents and Certificates of Land Ownership Award under the regular Land Acquisition and Distribution Program; E-Titles through the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (Project SPLIT); and Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage pursuant to Republic Act No. 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act.
The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between DAR and the Provincial Government of Nueva Ecija for the establishment of Special Processing Lanes to expedite ARBs’ transactions under Project SPLIT.
DAR Assistant Secretary for Support Services James Arsenio Ponce emphasized the importance of having ARBs witness the awarding of loan checks as an inspiration, showing that the agency’s support goes beyond land distribution and includes continued access to support services, in collaboration with LBP.
“Ang importante lang po sa amin ay mag-miyembro kayo sa mga [ARBOs]. Kasi po kami sa DAR, hindi po kami diretso sa individual na nagbibigay ng suportang serbisyo, kundi po pinapadaan namin sa mga organizations (What’s important for us is that you become members of [ARBOs], because we at DAR do not provide support services directly to individuals, but instead channel them through organizations),” he added.
With this, Ponce encouraged ARBs to join existing ARBOs in their respective areas so they can access the full range of support services offered by DAR.
He noted that aside from credit assistance, DAR also implements various programs that provide farm machinery and equipment, agricultural inputs, and support for product development.
Furthermore, the ALERT ARBO Credit Program, implemented in partnership with LBP, underscores DAR’s commitment to transforming ARBs into self-reliant and productive rural entrepreneurs. (MJSC/MAECR, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
