National News
DAR releases guidelines on the issuance of ARB IDs during ECQ QUEZON CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) released Memorandum Circular No. 4 last Thursday, April 2, 2020 to serve as guidelines on the issuance of Identification Cards (IDs) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in response to the current national health emergency measures arising from Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19. It will be recalled that Congress passed on March 23, 2020 Republic Act No. 11469, entitled “An Act Declaring the Existence of a National Emergency Arising from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID -19) Situation and a National Policy in Connection Therewith, and Authorizing the President of the Republic of the Philippines for a Limited Period and Subject to Restrictions to Exercise Powers Necessary and Proper to Carry Out the Declared National Policy and for Other Purposes,” or otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. DAR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Office (LAO) Atty. Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan said “The ARB IDs will be issued for the purpose of facilitating the access of the ARBs on the various government assistance, especially during the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).”
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| APRIL 4-10, 2020
Included among the assistance being eyed to be facilitated by the DAR in favor of the ARBs is the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP), which is a social amelioration program to provide cash or non-cash subsidy to 18 million household beneficiaries. This program is being implemented under the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2020 signed between and among the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Labor and Employment (DOLE), Trade and Industry (DTI), Agriculture (DA), Finance (DOF), Budget and Management (DBM), and Interior and Local Government (DILG). Included also is the Emergency Support Services Program to be implemented by the DAR-Support Services Office (SSO) that will benefit the ARBs, agrarian reform beneficiaries’ cooperatives (ARBOs) and agrarian reform communities (ARCs) at the field levels by conducting activities
