Talavera Mayor Nerivi Santos Martinez receives the title for a cold storage lot from DAR Secretary John Castriciones. Photo by Armand Galang
TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija — A total of 159 titles covering 98.78 hectares of riceland were distributed to 150 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in five municipalities of Nueva Ecija on Wednesday.
Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said the municipal government of Talavera led by Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martibez also received a separate 1.2-hectare land for an advanced cold storage facility in Barangay Bantug Hacienda here.
Castriciones lauded the local government for the P206-million project which, he said, will surely lead to progress among farmers.
Records from the DAR provincial office showed that 150 farmers who received titles here came from the towns of Cuyapo, Guimba, Pantabangan, Rizal, and this town.
The secretary and the mayor led the distribution of various farm implements under the Sustainable Livelihood Support for Disaster-Affected Areas (SLSDAA) to six ARB organizations from six municipalities.
These include four units of hand tractors, six units grass/brush cutter, six shallow tube well pumps and engines, 12 knapsack power sprayer, one shredding machine, and one power tiller-cultivator with a total cost of P1.5 million.
Four ARBOs from three municipalities, on the other hand, received a total of P18,747,700. These were Sunshine Agricultural Credit Cooperative (Cabiao), Tupad Pangarap Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Gapan City), Cama Juan ARB Cooperative (San Antonio), and Panabingan ARB Cooperative (San Antonio).
The DAR also signed a memorandum of understanding and marketing agreement with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology which ensures the market for the beneficiaries’ produce.
Martinez said that the DAR, with its donated cold storage lot, paves the way for the realization of their dream that was hatched way back in 2004.
The facility will have the capacity of 120,000 bags to cater some 2,500 farmers from at least five municipalities, Martinez said.
Talavera is the fourth largest onion-producing town in the province, she said.
“Ito po ay magbibigay ng pag-asa at tulong sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa sektor ng agrikultura. Pangarap na magkaroon ng sariling cold storage sa ating bayan. Ito na ang katuparan.” said Association of Barangay Councils president Nerito Santos, Jr.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexie Nograles joined the events virtually.
Castriciones was accompanied by DAR undersecretaries Emily Padilla, Virginia Orogo, Elmer Distor and Carim Panumpang, regional and provincial officials.
