Leadership Turn-Over Ceremony in Zamboanga Peninsulahe out-going Regional Direc-tor of the Department of Agrar-ian Reform (DAR) in

Thousand Titles For Zamboanga Del Sur FarmersTHE Department of Agrarian Reform(DAR) has recently distributed 1,049Emancipation Patents (EPs) and Cer-tificates of Land Ownership Award(CLOAs) covering 2,672.2 hectares oflandholdings to thousands qualifiedAgrarian Reform Beneficiaries(ARBs) in Pagadian City and the mu-nicipalities of Dumalinao, Labangan,Tukuran and San Pablo, al l inZamboanga del Sur.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Pro-gram Officer II Arturo Soria saidawarding lands to poor tenant tillers,regular and seasonal farm workers isthe first step to freeing them from thebondage of soil.

Soria said comprehensive and

TZamboanga Peninsula Julita A.Ragandang has officially turned-overthe mantle of authority to the newDAR-IX Regional Director EngineerFelix B. Aguhob recently.

During the turn-over ceremony,Assistant Regional Director Atty.Ramon E. Madronal Jr. paid specialtribute to Ragandang for her contribu-tion to transform and improve the livesof the agrarian reform beneficiaries inthe three provinces of the region.Ragandang said she has no regrets leav-ing the post, having served as the Re-gional Director for 10 years. She men-tioned the numerous challenges shefaced during her administration andsaid that she was proud to leave withclean hands, noting that her legacy tobe astute and diligent public servant

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Engr. Felix B. Aguhob , the incoming Regional Director of DAR IX receiving thesymbolic key of responsibility from outgoing Regional Director Julita A.Ragandang who will be transferred to CARAGA Region.

will forever remain in the hearts of thepeople she worked with.

Meanwhile, incoming RegionalDirector Aguhob expressed delight andlauded Ragandang for the remarkableachievements during her term. “Theonly permanent thing in this world ischange, and I’ am ready for this chal-lenge. And in order to win the respectand admiration of people, one must berespectful, skillful, and dedicated topublic service”, he said.

He also pledged his fullest com-mitment as he assumes the responsi-bility to implement the ComprehensiveAgrarian Reform Program in RegionIX as the new Regional Director. Theceremony was attended by key officialsand employees of DAR from the Prov-inces of Zamboanga del Norte,Zambonga del Sur, ZamboangaSibugay and DAR officials and repre-sentatives of Region X.

integrated delivery of various sup-port services like capacity develop-ment, agri–extension, rural infra-structure, agri- insurance, access tocredit and microfinance as well asdelivery of various legal assistanceand adjudication services would beavailed by the EP and CLOA hold-ers through their organizations andfederations.

Land Tenure Services Chief,Engr. Jena Salug said one of DAR’smandates is to improve and securethe land tenure of farmer-beneficia-ries serving as the bloodline of theComprehensive Agrarian ReformLaw embodied in the ComprehensiveAgrarian Reform Program.

Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries with their thumbs up after receiving their Titlesunder the Department of Agrarian Reform Land Transfer Program with Cluster VMunicipalities others. Head MARPO Musa Macarampat and PARPO II ArturoSoria.

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The PSDS members with the DAR and DTIrepresentatives after the product enhancement training.

A participant shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship.

DAR IX celebrates women’s monthTHE Department of Agrarian ReformIX has joined the nation in celebrat-ing the women’s month, highlightedby a trade fair ,a women’s forum,Gender and Development GAD)seminars and a baking demonstration.

In Zamboanga del Norte, Atty.Annaly T. Adju discussed with theparticipants during the GAD seminarthe Magna Carta of Women knownas Republic Act 9710 and RA 9262or the Anti-Violence Against Womenand their Children Act of 2004.

“Under the Magna Carta ofWomen, discrimination is de-nounced. There is discriminationwhen there is restriction basing on

your gender,” Atty. Adju explained.Accordingly, it is a comprehen-

sive human rights law that seeks toeliminate discrimination againstwomen by recognizing, protecting,fulfilling and promoting the rights ofFilipino women, especially those inthe marginalized sectors.

Among the rights of women arethe protection from all forms of vio-lence, participation and representationin development councils, equal treat-ment before the law, equal access andelimination of discrimination againstwomen in education, scholarships andtraining, non-discrimination of em-ployment in the field of military, po-

lice and other similar services, non dis-criminatory and non-derogatory por-trayal of women in media and film.

Apart from the seminar, a tradefair was also organized in the prov-ince featuring the different products ofthe agrarian reform beneficiaries.

In Zamboanga Sibugay anotherGAD seminar was conducted for ru-ral women in the chosen barangays ofIpil, Imelda and Buug. MunicipalAgrarian Reform Program OfficerNoemi Ampong viewed the activity asan opportunity to equip rural womenwith additional knowledge on speciallaws which majority of the participants

may not have gained familiarity with.Apart from the lecture, an ac-

tual demonstration on the basic ofcake baking was likewise incorpo-rated in the seminar purposely toopen the minds of the participants fora possible business activity throughbaking.

Meanwhile in Zamboanga Cityanother GAD seminar was conductedfor all the female employees of theregional office, resource personsfrom the Philippine National Policewere invited to discuss various top-ics on Anti – VAWC Act and SafetyMeasures.

DAR Zamboanga del Norte female employees with PARPO I Rizzel Villanueva andAtty.Annalie Adju, the GAD Forum speaker during the Women’s Month celebration.

A female police officer from the Philippine NationalPolice in Western Mindanaostressing some important provisions of the VAWC Law.

Siay IP organization benefits from up valuing trainings

IN line with the Department ofAgrarian Reform’s task to extendassistance to uplift the economic sta-tus of its agrarian reform beneficia-ries or agrarian, DAR – ZamboangaSibugay, in partnership with the De-partment of Trade and Industry,

sponsored a series of in-house upvaluing trainings for thePhesalabuhan Subanen De Siay(PSDS) or United Subanen of Siay.The PSDS is an agrarian reform com-munity with 60 members which isengaged in the production of rice

rolls, turmeric, lagundi and salabatpowders.

To help PSDS attain value add-ing of its products, a training on en-trepreneurship which aims to equipthe member-beneficiaries with thenecessary skills, entrepreneurial abili-ties and managerial competencies todevelop, manage and sustain a pro-ductive enterprise was held last Feb-ruary 27, 2015. A training on product

enhancement which includes prod-uct packaging and labeling was donedays thereafter. Lectures on goodhygiene and manufacturing prac-tices were likewise conducted byboth agencies.

AED Coordinator LowellLozada and PMAO CarolMarohumadil were among the facili-tators of the said seminars. (DAR-ZSP Provincial Information Section)

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DAR, JRMSU SIGN MOA ON OE-NADATHE Department of Agrarian Reform(DAR) in Zamboanga Sibugay hadrecently signed the Memorandum ofAgreement between DAR and JoseRizal Memorial State University(JRMSU) for the conduct of the Or-ganization and Enterprise Needs As-sessment and Design Assessment(OE-NADA). The DAR was represented by theProvincial Agrarian Reform Officer(PARPO) Judith Mantos while theJRMSU was represented by Dr. EdgarS. Balbuena, the university president.

The JRMSU was commissionedto be the service provider for the OE-NADA. The assessment will be con-ducted to assess the sustainability ofrice-duck farming cum provision ofequipment and facilities for the tar-geted project beneficiaries in Payao,Zamboanga Sibugay.

Presently, DAR isconductingprocurement of commonservices facilities, agricultural-exten-sion and business development ser-vices based on project proposals sub-mitted by the respective Agrarian Re-form Beneficiaries Organizations(ARBOs) to be accessed under theAgrarian Reform Community Con-nectivity and Economic Support Ser-vices (ARCCESS).

The purpose for the conduct ofthe OE-NADA is to identify possibleand proper interventions based on thepriorityneeds of the target beneficia-ries. In addition, it aims to determinethe organizational capacity of theARBOs in terms of human resources,policy, systems and procedures, orga-nizational governance, financial re-sources and enterprise operations, andto have access to credit and assuredmarket. It will likewise ascertain thecrops suitability and the potentialcrops production as the biophysical,socio-economic and cultural setting ofthe target barangays will be evaluated.

JRMSU will provide the DARwith the findings of the assessment.The result of the OE-NADA will thenbe the basis of the agency’s social,cultural and economic programs andstrategies and other succeeding inter-ventions that will be extended to theARBOs.

PARPO II Atty. Judith Patriarca-Mantos explaining the partnership with JRMSU.

Jose Rizal Memorial State University President Dr. Edgar Balbuena stressing the benefits that could be derived by JRMSU out of thepartnership.

From left to right: PARPO I Elizardo Villaseca, PARPO II Atty. Judith Patriarca-Mantos, JRMSU President Dr. Edgar Balbuena,JRMSU Research Director Dr. Rio Naguit and CARPO-PBDD Anthony Teves during the signing of the MOA on OE-NADA.

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Project inspection – construction of Damit Multi-Purpose Cooperative PHP, solar dryer andGround breaking and MOA signing of expanded village level processing enhancementproject at Patalon, Zamboanga City.

Project inspection in Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur with PARPO 11 Arturo N. Soriaand PBDD Chief Engr. Josephine Sisican

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Regional Director turn-over for Region 9 attended by the provincial and regional personnel and representative from DAR 10.

d toilet in brgy. Damit, Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur.

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DAR-Zambo Norte Turns-Over SRI Equipment, Mallard Ducks to DPIA

The Department of Agrarian Reform(DAR) in Zamboanga del Norte hadrecently turned-over one System ofRice Intensification (SRI) equip-ment and 980 mallard ducks to the

Dipolog-Polanco Irrigators Asso-ciation (DPIA) at Upper Turno,Dipolog City.

DAR allocated P599,000 for theSRI sub-project in Dipolog City

through Agrarian Reform Commu-nity Project 2 (ARCP2) which wasfunded by Asian Development Bank(ADB). The project included thetraining of agrarian reform beneficia-ries (ARBs) for Organic Rice Produc-tion through SRI cum Duck Raisingfrom December 9, 2014 to March 24,2015.

The training will also be imple-mented in the municipalities ofSirawai and Siocon. The local gov-ernment unit of Dipolog City had acounterpart of P394,000 for the saidproject.

Provincial Agrarian ReformOfficer (PARPO) Moh.Dassan J.Adju disclosed that Zamboanga del

Norte had the biggest fund alloca-tion amounting to P1.4 millionamong the provinces of Region IX.

Meanwhile, City MayorEvelyn Uy said that the provincialgovernment of Zamboanga delNorte and the City Government ofDipolog would give the DPIA addi-tional 600 and 200 mallard ducks,respectively. These mallard ducks,locally known as “itik” are intendedto control pests in the rice fields andfor “balot-making” to give addi-tional income to the farmers.

The agrarian reform beneficia-ries were also given five pieces ofmechanical weeders and three piecesof 10-kilogram weighing scales.

The 980 Mallard ducks for the Dipolog-Polanco Irrigators Association of UpperTurno, Dipolog City, a part of the P599,000 SRI sub project funded by ARCP 2.

DAR-ZSibugay Intensifies PAHP; Holds Orientation With Project Partners

The PAHP implementors pose with the participants of the orientation onhigh valuevegetable production through natural farming system technology.

THE Department of Agrarian Re-form in Zamboanga Sibugay heldan orientation of the PartnershipAgainst Hunger and Pov-erty (PAHP) program last March9 with the project partners.The orientation was on high veg-etable production through natu-ral farming system technology tostrengthen the implementation ofthe PAHP in the province.

PAHP is an enhanced part-nership initiative of governmentagencies and other stakeholdersaimed to mitigate hunger, attainfood self-sufficiency and allevi-ate poverty in the rural areas. TheDepartment of Agrarian Reform(DAR), Department of Agricul-ture (DA), Department of SocialWelfare and Development(DSWD), Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO), World FoodProgram (WFP) and the Govern-ment of Brazil are among theimplementers of PAHP.

The program enhances thebasic services that have alreadybeen rendered by various govern-ment agencies. These includesthe provision of support servicesthrough health and nutrition and

quality education for day-carechildren (DSWD), continued ex-tension of technical assistance toincrease agrarian reformbeneficiaries’(ARBs’) family in-come through Agrarian ReformCommunity (ARC) agro-enter-prise development (DAR) andprovision of production and post-harvest practices (DA). Thesethree agencies will be collaborat-ing efforts and synergizing re-sources to produce bigger, tan-gible and sustainable results.

PAHP project was originallyconceptualized from Brazil’sZero-Hunger Plan and Food Pur-chase Program to address andcombat hunger and poverty. Dueto its success and widespread ac-ceptability, the government of thePhilippines decides to replicatethe program in the country withthe Brazilian Government as part-ner and technical consultant.

The recently concluded ori-entation activity was participatedby East West Seed Company Inc.,the professional service providertapped by DAR Central Office.The services to be offered by theEast West to the ARBs include

trainings on vegetable farmingand production, provision of train-ing modules and monitoring of thevegetables to be planted by theARBs.

Provincial Agrarian ReformProgram Officer Judith Mantos,PARPO I Elizardo Villaseca,CARPO Anthony Teves, BoyArevalo of the Provincial Agricul-ture Office, Maricel Amorgandaof the Provincial Social Welfareand Development Office,

MARPOs Ana Marie Calonia andFlordie Bagundol of Titay andNaga, respectively, LGU Nagaand Titay MAOs and MSWDOs,Program Beneficiaries Develop-ment Division (PBDD) StaffLowell Lozada and MarilouAcedo and representatives ofsome ARBOs were among thepersons who attended the saidevent. (John Lloyd P. Cababat,DAR-ZSP Prov’l InformationSection)

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DAR ARBOs To Avail MillionsA three day seminar on Farm Plan-ning and Budget Preparation andBasic Business Plan Preparationwas conducted by the Departmentof Agrarian Reform – Zamboangadel Sur at Farmers Haven, Dao,Pagadian City last March 9-11.

Provincial Agrarian ReformProgram Officer II Arturo Soriastressed that the training targetedthe fifteen credible agrarian reformbeneficiaries organizations(ARBOs) with 2,566 agrarian re-form beneficiaries (ARBs) in theprovince to come up with a busi-ness plan for them to be able toavail of the loan granted under theAgrarian Production Credit Pro-gram (APCP).

Soria said that APCP willsupport the farmers in their pro-duction needs and entrepreneurial

activities.DAR along with Department

of Agriculture, Land Bank of thePhilippines and the Department of

Science and Technologyhavepooled their resources and exper-tise for the farmers for them tohave access to the P85 million

capital to be loaned APCP. DARZamboanga del Sur has an allo-cation of P22.5 million for theyear 2015.

Program Beneficiaries De-velopment Division Chief, Engr.Josephine Sisican explained thatby providing credit, transferringtechnology, market matching anddelivering other kinds of supportand development assistancethrough the ARBOs who getswholesale prices, their memberscan avail of needed credit on farminputs like fertilizers and otherservices at lower affordable coststhan the commercial markets.

The seminar, which wasparticipated in by 58 farmers, em-ployed coaching after each lectureusing the template of each busi-ness plan component.

Participants to the seminar conducted by DAR for the ARBOs to avail from the APCP.

DAR-Zambo Sibugay Turns-Over PAMANA Projects in San PabloTHE Department of Agrarian Re-form (DAR) in Zamboanga del Surhad recently turned-over 27 Payapaat Masaganang Pamayanan(PAMANA) projects through theOffice of the Presidential Adviser onthe Peace Process (OPAPP).

The PAMANA-ARA projectsconsisted of the following: Multi-Purpose Buildings, Multi-PurposePavements, Roofing of ExistingMulti-Purpose Pavement, 2 1-Class-

room School Buildings, Day CareCenter, Gravelling of Farm to MarketRoad, Pathway Concreting, PerimeterFence, Level II Water System, Im-provement of Existing Level II WaterSystem and Mechanical Drier Facili-ties. These were handed over to theheads of 27 Peoples’ Organization(POs) in the different agrarian reformarea (ARA) barangays in San Pablo,Zamboanga del Sur.

DAR IX Regional Director Julita

A. Ragandang, who previously ap-proved these projects, expected thatthe recipient POs will properly main-tain, take good care and sustain the saidprojects to benefit even the cominggenerations. These projects will ben-efit 2,719 agrarian reform beneficia-ries, 5,534 households and some26,069 populace in San Pablo.

Meanwhile, Mayor BelmanMantos of San Pablo was grateful forthe realization of these projects to put

a just end to internal conflicts and al-leviate poverty in his municipality.

Provincial Agrarian ReformProgram Officer Arturo Soria, en-joined government officials presentduring the activity to continue in pro-viding infrastructure projects toresolve conflict and build peace in thecommunity. He expressed optimismthat the ARBs will be eased from pov-erty and will promote progress in thecountryside.

A part of the 27 PAMANA projects in San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur

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DAR To Implement P42.13-M Worth OfFarm-To-Market Roads In Zamboanga Del Norte

EDITORIAL STAFFEditors-in-ChiefGLORIA M. SARACHO

MA. SOCORRO C. REAMBONANZAAssistant Editor

SUZETTE T. LOTAContributing Editors

SHANIE P. JACINTOLAILANIE VIC S. VALDEZ

CHRISTINE MAE V. BOMESARNETTE COMIQUE

JOHN LLOYD CABABATEditorial Consultants

ENGR. FELIX B. AGUHOBRegional Director

ATTY. RAMON E. MADROÑAL, JR.ARD for ADMIN. & Legal Services

ENGR. AGNES Y. MAATAARD for LTS/TASS

For inquiries, please write or call theDAR Regional Office IX,

Veterans Avenue Extension,Zamboanga City

Telephone No. (062) 955-2155Email add: dar_reg9@yahoo.com.ph

THE Department of Agrarian Re-form (DAR), through the AgrarianReform Communities Project 2-Performance-Based Grant System(ARCP2-PBGS), recently signed amemorandum of agreement (MOA)with the Department of Finance-Municipal Development FundOffice (DOF-MDFO) and the localgovernment unit of Manukan,Zamboanga del Norte to implementa P42-million farm-to-market roadto promote sustainable develop-ment in the said municipality.

Provincial Agrarian ReformProgram Officer II (PARPO II)Moh. Dassan J. Adju said the in-frastructure projects includethe concreting of 2.5-kilometerLingatongan-Meses and 4-kilome-ter Gupot farm-to-market roads,costing P14,386,619 andP27,748,679, respectively. “Theroads aim to promote sustainabledevelopment and help achieve amore rapid reduction in poverty as

these projects will enable farmers’access to transport their goods tovarious markets with ease and givethem more time to cultivate theirfarms,” Adju said.

These infrastructure projectsare in consonance with DAR’sthrust to continually deliver inten-

sive support services to agrarianreform beneficiaries and otherfarmers in the agrarian reform com-munity.

The event was spearheaded byManukan town Mayor Enriquita U.Winters and PARPO Adju withother DAR and LGU officials.

PARPO II Moh. Dassan Adju and Mayor Enriquita U. Winers sign the Memorandumof Agreement for the P 42.13 million farm-to-market -road in Manukan, Zamboangadel Norte

MOA signing on the P42 million farm-to-market road for Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.