DAR, DSWD sign agreement to provide livelihood assistance for agrarian reform beneficiaries

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By Susan De Leon (DAR/EPC/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, Jan. 19 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) signed a livelihood program partnership agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to increase the household income of farmers by developing and improving their agri-business enterprises.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones said the program called “Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project” (CLAAP) will benefit 36,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and non-ARBs in 749 agrarian reform communities (ARCs) and agrarian reform areas throughout the country.

“The partnership is geared towards a common goal of improving the lives of farmers by helping them develop their agricultural enterprises. This will be conducted by helping them establish livelihood businesses like vegetable/fruit farming, food processing, vermicomposting, livestock raising, just to name a few,” Castriciones said.

DSWD Secretary Emmanuel Leyco said CLAAP is a development partnership between DAR and DSWD which supports DAR’s thrust of expanding and increasing farmers’ access to economic opportunities.

“The farmers, who belong to the poorest sector, are the majority of our constituents. This is an expected partnership [with DAR] because both agencies share the same beneficiaries, the poor farmers,” said Leyco.

Under the memorandum of agreement, the DSWD will allocate and transfer to DAR P1 billion for the implementation of CLAAP.

DAR, for its part, will provide P186 million worth of its manpower, technical and management skills and the cost of series of capacity building training for the farmers.

DAR Undersecretary for support services Rosalina Bistoyong said the DAR will be responsible for the implementation activities including planning, supervision, and procurement of materials for the establishment/assistance of farmers’ agri-businesses.

“To ensure its success, we will continuously monitor and evaluate the establishment and development of each agri-business of the farmers,” said Bistoyong.

The implementation of CLAAP will start on May 2018 and will end on December 2019.

The signing of the livelihood program partnership agreement was held at the DSWD central office in Quezon City.

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