DARPO-Cagayan Implements ARCCESS

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Provincial Office of Cagayan has identified eight (8) Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) in seven (7) municipalities to be recipients of the department’s new program entitled “Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity Economic Support Services” (ARCCESS) which aims to accompany provision of lands to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) plus provision of support services in order to increase ARBs’ income, enhance self-confidence and finally uplift their conditions of living.

As of this date, there were three (3) project proposals that were already approved for funding by the National ARCCESS Program Coordinating Office (NAPCO). One each for the three districts covering the province of Cagayan. For the first district which includes the municipalities of Lallo, Camalaniugan and Sta. Teresita, for the second district Ballesteros and Abulug and for the  third district the municipalities of Solana and Tuao, respectively. The proposals were entitled “Integrated Pre and Post Harvest Facilities for Rice Production and Trading” with a total project cost of Php 62,079,908.00. This project shall benefit eight (8) cooperatives namely Naguillian Christian MPC, Juzicasmin MPC, Micavice MPC, Micavice IA, Nararagan MPC, Golden Harvest Cluster MPC, SOWESFACO and Salamin MPC. It is expected that the project shall benefit 4,370 coop members, 2,072 members of which are ARBs in the said organizations.

The NAPCO has already instructed DARPO-Cagayan to commence the contracting of professional service providers from different government offices which shall be responsible for the implementation of the project. Cagayan province has already initiated the preparation of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Cagayan State University including the accreditation of the university documents by the Central Office.

           

DARPO-Cagayan and Cagayan State University have gone far as to their activities to be undertaken for the implementation of ARCCESS Program, from MOA signing on April 20, 2012 to the Presentation of Needs and Design Assessment Proposal which took place on April 23, 2012. And other activities like, Draft Copy of Needs and design Assessment to be submitted to NAPCO, Joint Meetings between CSU-DARPO-MARO-DFs-ARBOs, Initial Immersion ARBO Level, Deployment of CSU Staff, Data validation and Gathering up to the Final Report which all took place from the period of April 25, 2012 – May 30, 2012.

           

Other projects As DAR continues to expand its projects for the province it is expected that there are three pipe line project proposals awaiting. For the District I’s project proposal entitled “Integrating considered are: (1) Pre and Post Harvest Facilities for Rice Production and Trading; (2) Provision of Common Service Facilities cum Grains Trading;  and (3) Mechanized Corn Production and Trading.

The municipalities of Sta.Ana, Gonzaga, Gattaran, Rizal, Piat (with Maduvika ARC, Cambass ARC, Sunrise ARC, Malaueg ARC and Madovilla ARC as the proponent ARCs) will be the recipients of these projects. /mtb