The Department of Agrarian Reform in the Caraga Region (DAR-13) distributed PHP5.5 million worth of farm machinery and equipment to six Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) across the region on Monday, bringing government support directly to farmers through the nationwide “Handog ng Pangulo” initiative.

The assistance, under DAR’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP), will benefit 569 ARBs in six municipalities.

Of the total, PHP4.9 million will go to four ARBOs under the Major Crop Block Farming program, while PHP560,960 worth of equipment will be provided to two ARBOs under Sustainable Livelihood Support programs.

Among the recipients are the Rosario Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Agusan del Norte, which received a four-wheel-drive farm tractor; the Malipayon Pag-asa Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Agusan del Sur, which received a single-pass rice mill; the Rural Improvement Club Coop Producers (RICCP) in Surigao City, which received a tractor with rotary tiller and trailer; and the Tagasaka Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative in Surigao del Sur, which received a rice combine harvester.

In Dinagat Islands, the Cabungaan Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Navarro Multi-Purpose Cooperative each received a package of equipment including a rice thresher, mudboat, grass cutter and knapsack sprayer.

Josefina Abig, chairperson of RICCP, emphasized the importance of the equipment in helping their members increase production.

“The tractor, equipped with a rotary tiller and a trailer, is a big help to our members, especially during land preparation,” Abig said in a phone interview on Monday.

She thanked DAR and the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the continuing support to farmers in the Caraga Region.

“This tractor allows faster land preparation, plowing, and planting, and enables our members to cultivate larger areas in less time,” said Antero Paña, manager of the Rosario Agrarian Reform Cooperative.

He added that DAR’s mechanization support helps farmers lessen their dependence on manual labor, translating to lower expenses for hired workers during peak farming seasons.

DAR-13 Regional Director Merlita Capinpuyan noted that the program goes beyond machinery distribution.

“The Handog ng Pangulo is a clear demonstration that government assistance can reach our farmers where it matters most — in their communities and on their farms,” Capinpuyan said in a statement issued on Monday.

She added that through the farm machinery and equipment, the government is giving ARBs the tools they need to become more productive, resilient and competitive.

“This initiative supports the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III in bringing government services closer to farmers and rural communities,” Capinpuyan said. (PNA)