IFUGAO, Philippines — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over P208,000 worth of farm machinery and equipment to a farmers’ organization in Barangay Aduyongan here, aiming to improve productivity and strengthen community-based agriculture.
The assistance was granted on March 26 to the Aduyongan Agrarian Reform Farmers
Organization (ARFO), an agrarian reform beneficiaries’ group supported by the DAR Provincial Office of Ifugao, led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Elpidio C. Santos.
Funded under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP) –
Sustainable Livelihood Support for Disaster-Affected Areas (SLSDAA), the package includes two rotavators, two power sprayers, two water pumps, three brush cutters, and one pelletizer machine.
Distributed equipment is expected to ease manual labor, speed up farm operations, and increase crop yields among members.
“Dagituy nga naited ket arapaap tayo nga maaddaan iti gamit tapno iti kasta ket adda usaren tayo nga agtalon. Ket tatta nga addan, ikkan tayo kuma iti importansya dagituy nga equipment. Sapayla kuma ta babaen agituy nga naited nga FMEs ket ag-increase iti produksyon ti ani tayo nga farmers. Tulungan tayo daytuy nga organization tayo tapno ag thrive ken madi nga ag-fail,” said Barangay Captain Jose Balajo. thanked DAR for the support, saying the equipment had long been a goal of the organization.
Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Leonor C. Bascos reminded the group that government assistance comes with responsibility, stressing the need to properly manage and maintain the equipment.
She warned that failure to use the equipment effectively could lead to its reassignment to other beneficiaries.
An orientation on the proper use of the machinery was conducted following the turnover to promote sustainability and accountability among members.
A memorandum and trust agreement was also signed to formalize the responsibilities of both DAR and the farmers’ group in the use and safekeeping of the equipment.
The turnover was witnessed by members of the community, including PARCCOM representatives.
