The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned-over different machineries to agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in this province.

In an interview on Monday, DAR Ilocos regional director Homer Tobias said the provision of machineries is under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) on Major Crop-Based Block Farm and Sustainable Livelihood Program of the agency.

He said the ARBOs beneficiaries under major crop-based block farms are San Jose Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), Lacong MPC, and Namaltugan MPC.

San Jose MPC got one unit mechanical tractor and two units of water pumps, Lacong MPC got one unit of hauling truck and two units water pumps, while Namaltugan MPC got one unit of a combine harvester and two units of water pumps.

“Including the training, the total project cost amounts to over PHP5.4 million,” Tobias said.

The beneficiaries of the Sustainable Livelihood Program are Pongpong Farmers Irrigators Association of Sto. Tomas town, Linapew Tubao La Union Farmers Association of Tubao town, Bued CIS Dam 1 Irrigators Service Association of Rosario town, Pao Sur Farmers Credit Cooperative, and Sacyud Irrigators Association, both in this city.

“Each of the five ARBO received one unit mechanized tractor, five units of water pumps, and four units of knapsack sprayer,” Tobias said.

The total project cost amounts to PHP1.6 million.

The DAR has also distributed individual Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) door-to-door to three farmer-beneficiaries at San Gabriel town.

The farmer-beneficiaries are Danilo Bittong, Carlito Bittong, and Alberto Bittong.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones personally led the distribution on Oct.16. (PNA)