MOU signed to support ARBOs' economic empowerment

The Department of Agrarian Reform on Tuesday said farmer members of various agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in the Bicol region will have a steady market for their agricultural products with the recent partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP) of Region 5.

DAR Regional Director Reuben Theodore C. Sindac said the partnership with PNP-Bicol will support and promote the economic empowerment of ARBOs in consonance with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.'s campaign to address critical concerns of hunger mitigation and poverty reduction through Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP).

“Our ARBOs will showcase their fresh and affordable local farm products at the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP). This will be an opportunity for our ARBOs to market their products inside the PNP camps,” Sindac said.

The first-ever joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the DAR and PNP was signed at Camp BGen Simeon A. Ola, Legazpi City to combat hunger and poverty in the Bicol region.

Under the agreement, the agricultural display of farmers’ produce and products, dubbed “Agraryo Merkado sa Kampo”, at the PNP Bicol headquarters will happen every Friday for three years.

The same activity will be facilitated at the Police Provincial Offices on days considered appropriate by the provincial head.

In his message, PNP Regional Director P/BGen. Andre P. Dizon extended his gratitude to all participants including all DAR provincial agrarian reform officers and their counterparts who attended the event.

Dizon believes that through this initiative, they will secure the well-being and promote social justice for those in need.

He guaranteed support and said that they are always open-handed in helping them.

"On behalf of PRO V, expect that our office is always open for the benefit of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs)," he added.

At the signing, Sindac emphasized each agency’s role in the historical partnership. He stated that the move is parallel to their dream to deliver genuine service to the agricultural sector, especially for existing insurgency issues due to land disputes.

“I said parallel because while you in the PNP address the insurgency frontally in various ways, we, in the DAR aim to eliminate, if not mitigate, the very core that breeds it, true land reform.”

“By uniting law enforcement with agricultural reform and development, we recognize the power of synergy in driving sustainable change to form a formidable force capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by farmer-beneficiaries,” he added.

Even before the signing of the MOU, the PNP has always remained supportive in maintaining order in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the DAR, which includes among others, the execution of field surveys, field investigations, field inspections of completed infrastructure projects, and implementation and execution of DAR Adjudication Board Orders and similar orders like the installation of ARBs to their land.