DAR Caraga strengthens support services operationalization

The Support Services Division (SSD) of DAR Caraga, in an effort to further boost the rate of support services delivery to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and to maximize the government's resources, met for 2-day learning session for the CY 2024 revised Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries' Development and Sustainability Program (ARBDSP) guidelines on April 18-19, 2024 at the Regional Office Conference Room, Butuan City.

As the third major program of DAR, the ARBDSP aims to provide support services to ARBs, smallholder farmers and their organizations to enable them to become more productive, enterprising and grow into vibrant players in community undertakings. Such services are provided individually to the beneficiaries or collectively through their organizations (ARBOs) and/or communities/areas (ARCs, ARC clusters, ARAs).

And with the ever-changing economic landscape of the Philippines and the needs of the Filipino farmers, DAR through its implementation of the ARBDSP has fashioned yearly amendments to its operational guidelines to streamline the focus and direction of the program nationwide.

Regional Director Atty. Merlita S. Capinpuyan, who graced the learning session expressed that it is high-time, more than ever, to further enhance the provision of technical capacity building and market linkages of Caraga ARBs to elevate their purchasing power and economic standing. And as one of the primary contributors of the food industry which is essential for daily nutrition, she said, "the farmers are who feed us everyday through their harvest. It is only right that we, as one with the goals of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, stand firm in our efforts to collectively achieve holistic support to them [farmers], so we must give more than 100% of our efforts for this year and the upcoming ones."

This activity session included the participation of all key regional and provincial ARBDSP implementers of Caraga.

OIC-Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer (CARPO) Hermegina M. Gabor presented said operational guidelines to the participants. These directives, as provided by Support Services Office Undersecretary, Rowena Niña O. Taduran,