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Agrarian Reform Chronicles
DAR Turns-Over Tilapia Crunch Kits, Pump Boat to Fishermen Coop in Zamboanga Del Sur THE DEPARTMENT of Agrarian Reform in Zamboanga del Sur turned-over Tilapia Crunch Kits and conducted a blessing activity for the Motorized Pump Boat of the Laicor - Fisherfolks Employees Cooperative (LAFEMCO) in Balas, Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur on June 14. Arturo N. Soria Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II disclosed that LAFEMCO which is a DAR – assisted cooperative with 375 agrarian reform beneficiaries, manages 1,050 hectares of fish pond. He said that the Tilapia Crunch Kits were handed after completing the series of trainings on Tilapia Crunch Enterprise Production under the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) or Links Farm, which aims to linking smallholder agrarian reform beneficiaries to the market. Engr. Josephine G. Sisican, Chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division, said that the easy transport of its constituents for ferrying its prawn, crabs and tilapia produce to the mainland markets will start with the acquisition of the motorized pump boat. She said that the ventures are bundled with the following interventions: - The Department of Agriculture’s and DAR’s Agrarian Reform Credit Program (APCP) with P1 Million credit line in tandem with and from the Land Bank
April-June 2017
EDITORIAL STAFF Editors-in-Chief GLORIA M. SARACHO MA. SOCORRO C. REAMBONANZA
Contributing Editors SHANIE P. JACINTO LAILANIE VIC S. VALDEZ ARNETTE COMIQUE JOHN LLOYD CABABAT
Editorial Consultants JULITA A. RAGANDANG, CESO III Regional Director
ATTY. RAMON E. MADROÑAL, JR. ARD for ADMIN. & Legal Services
ENGR. AGNES Y. MAATA Arturo N. Soria (center), PARPO II of DAR Zamboanga del Sur signing the documents for the Tilapia Crunch venture and motorized pump boat.
of the Philippines (LBP). LAFEMCO in connection with this has fully paid its P350,000 initial LBP loan. Now, it is on its P784,320 second cycle loan for its prawn production enterpise. - DAR’s and the Cooperative Development Authority’s 14 mandatory trainings which strengthened and empowered LAFEMCO; and - DAR’s Community – Managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene with a water tank installed, among others. PARPO II Soria conveyed that he is glad of the complementation, convergence and strong partnership of DAR with the local government unit(LGU) of Aurora headed by Mayor Emmanuel Palma, II and the
barangay LGU of Balas. He also said that the ventures in Balas are envisioned to uplift the economic condition not only of the beneficiaries but for the total populace in general. He then enjoined LAFEMCO to be united and work together in harmony, to sustain their lucrative business enterprises to be able to hand down the fruit of their labor as a lasting legacy to the next generations. Mayor Palma thanked DAR – ZDS led by PARPO II Soria and Engr. Sisican for a work well done in LAFEMCO. In closing, Vice Chair Mipalao Sari expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the DAR being a recipient of a
ARD for LTS/TASS For inquiries, please write or call the DAR Regional Office IX, Veterans Avenue Extension, Zamboanga City Telephone No. (062) 955-2155 Email add: dar_reg9@yahoo.com.ph
genuine public service and the rewarding relationships which he experienced from the DAR development facilitators. Other officials present during the activity were Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Allan G. Apao, Kagawad Jarish Sarip, Links Farm Consultant John Barsomo, point person Ruby Flor Consolacion, May Christine V. Bomes, LAFEMCO Chairman Muslimen Israel.