The Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) has approved a total of PHP5.9 billion in funding for key support programs aimed at improving farm-to-market access, expanding educational assistance, and creating new livelihood opportunities for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) nationwide.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said PARC, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., is the country’s highest policy-making body on agrarian reform, coordinating national efforts to strengthen rural development and improve the long-term welfare of farming communities

The budget was approved during PARC’s 41st meeting presided over by its Vice Chairperson and DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, at the DAR Central Office on June 15.

Estrella said the Council’s decisions reflect the government’s continuing commitment to empowering farmers through investments in infrastructure, education and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

“Sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., patuloy nating pinapalawak ang saklaw ng agrarian reform upang matiyak na ang ating mga benepisyaryo ay hindi lamang nagmamay-ari ng lupa kundi mayroon ding sapat na suporta upang mapaunlad ang kanilang kabuhayan. (Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we continue to expand the scope of agrarian reform to ensure that our beneficiaries not only own land but also have sufficient support to improve their livelihoods),” he said as quoted in a news release Thursday.

“Ang mga programang ito ay mahalagang puhunan para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga magsasaka at ng sektor ng agrikultura (These programs are an important investment for the future of our farmers and the agricultural sector),” he added.

DAR said among those approved is the continued rollout of the PHP3.9-billion Pang-Agraryong Tulay Para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka (Bridges Project), which aims to improve connectivity in agrarian reform communities (ARCs) by easing access to markets, schools and essential services.

PARC also approved PHP2 billion for scholarships and educational support for ARBs and their dependents, widening the government’s assistance beyond land distribution to long-term capacity building for farming households.

The Council also endorsed the implementation of the Halal Food Industry Development (HaFID) Project, a three-year program that seeks to integrate farmers and ARBs into the growing halal food value chain, creating additional livelihood and employment pathways.

To support the initial implementation, PARC recommended releasing PHP16 million from the Agrarian Reform Fund.

Aside from DAR, the meeting gathered officials from multiple agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Finance, Trade and Industry, Public Works and Highways, Labor and Employment, Interior and Local Government, Economy, Planning, and Development, as well as the Office of the President, Land Registration Authority, National Irrigation Administration, Land Bank of the Philippines, and representatives from the ARBs and landowner sectors. (PNA)