DAR opens 13th National ARC Project in Sarangani

ARC FOR THE LANDLESS - Local government, tribal and barangay leaders led by Mayor Reynaldo “Bong” Constantino (center in black jacket), together with some land beneficiaries pose for souvenir shot during Department of Agrarian Reform’s official launching of its 13^th Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) project in Malungon, Sarangani. (JoJo Gocotano-MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE/ Ippalma ).

  

MALUNGON, Sarangani – Hundreds of agrarian reform beneficiaries, most of which belonging to the tribal communities,  filled up an open field in a remote village as the Department of Agrarian Reform officially launched its 13^th Agrarian Reform Community project in Barangays Datal Batong and Datal Bila, Malungon, Sarangani.

 

Malungon town Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino said the national government’s DABIDABA (Datal BIla-Datal Batong) ARC project convering more or less 2,505 hectares have already undergone massive consultation meetings with the local government, barangay officials, non-government organizations, cooperatives and various sectoral groups on November 2007, but was theoretically deferred due to land tenure problems and the instability of peace and order in the area.

 

“Some technical problems may somehow occur during the actual implementation of the land distribution but I assure every beneficiary that it will be absolutely minimal and will push through productively. What I am certain is that this project will be of great help to uplift the living condition of my poor highland farmers and our landless land tillers in the upcoming days,” said Constantino, as he directed the local-based DAR personnel to execute a precise monitoring and awarding procedure to negate negative public conjectures. 

 

First formed under DAR memo-circular order no. 14 and the national ARC task force M.O. no. 3, series of 2008, this nationwide project aims for the implementation of a refined ARC development framework and to make it more responsive to the strategy of the Estrada administration of sustainable rural development. DAR officials said it is where an expanded approach is being adopted through the reclustering of existing ARCs to include those ARBs in continuous barangays based on the ARC modern classifications.

 The Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) is composed of clusters of land reformed barangays in a municipality where farmers and frameworkers are awaiting the full implementation of agrarian reform, while the ARC Task Force is a structural mechanism that was established to provide overall direction in the implementation of the ARC development program. 

                

It also includes a wider beneficiary focus and the launching of the new ARCs, anchored on scale and ecological considerations. Among its objectives is to define the criteria vis-à-vis the Sustainable Rural Development Framework in ARCs, and determine the procedures in launching the project.

 

             Constantino said the launching of ARC in the locality will not only spur up agricultural developments, but will also spearhead the entry of more beneficial projects from various concerned national-based agencies in the country. (JoJo Gocotano-MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE/Ippalma ).