QUEZON CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Mimaropa Region has awarded ten (10) top-performing agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in the region in recognition of their sustained marketing activities and continuous provision of services not only to its farmer-members but also to their community despite the pandemic.

DAR Mimaropa Regional Director Marvin Bernal said the ARBOs were cited for their resiliency during the successive waves of the pandemic, coping, and still emerging as successful despite the community lockdowns and economic shutdowns.

Bernal said two ARBOs each in the provinces of Orienctal Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan were awarded during the Mimaropa’s ARBOs Summit with a theme “Priorities Beyond the Pandemic”.

He recalled that in response to the needs of the farmer-beneficiaries during the earlier stage of the pandemic, the DAR came up with a contingency plan called “PaSSOver: ARBold Move to Heal as One Deliverance our ARBs from the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

“With these interventions, the immediate essential support services to the men and women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to mitigate the impact of community quarantine measures due to COVD-19 were addressed,” he said.

Bernal disclosed that regionwide, a total of 9,313 ARBs were provided with farm productivity assistance, livelihood support, and supplemental food and non-food items.

“A total of 124 ARBOs were assisted to overcome the obstacles in the consolidation, marketing, and delivery of their harvests to ensure continuous availability of basic commodities,” Bernal said.

“We honored and recognized the ARBOs for their humanitarian role and effort amidst the threat of the pandemic towards nation-building and economic development,” he said.  (DAR)