CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga- -A new journey begins   for the United Ileb Farmers Irrigators Association (UIFIA), Inc. at Ileb, Nambaran in this city  with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office here launching the  Cassava Production Project and the Farmers Business School  (FBS) for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries on Wednesday(June 30).

The  UIFIA members  were oriented on FBS which will take them 25 sessions to  learn farming techniques on cassava farming and to be familiarized on production and marketing. They were also taught   the steps of planting seedlings through an onsite demonstration. 

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Adela formally turned over the planting materials to the association followed by the signing of the memorandum of agreement.

The planting materials came from Pudtol ARB Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Apayao, one of the successful coops that engaged in cassava farming and are now enjoying the fruits of their sacrifices.  Damaso challenged the UIFIA to replicate such achievement.

DAR earlier brought the UIFIA leaders to the Pudtol ARB MPC cassava plantation for an educational tour.

UIFIA president Leonardo Alngag thanked DAR for their continuous support to their community. The launching of this project, he said, is the beginning of a new journey for the ARBs.

Most UIFIA members are identified with the now defunct Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army who established a colony at Ileb, organized themselves and accredited by DAR as an ARB organization.

Meanwhile, DAR-Kalinga’s Program Beneficiaries and Development Division goes full swing in the orientation of ARB Organizations on Expanded Assistance to Restore and Install Sustainable Enterprise in ARBs (E-ARISE ARBs), a microfinance agricredit program under the Enterprise Development and Economic Support program of the department.

The series of orientation started with ACFAMCO, an ARBO in Lubuagan which   hopes that this will lead the cooperative to flourish as they envision to expand their services. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga)