QUEZON CITY -- Farmer-members from the four (4) agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in Pangasinan province took a day off from their farming activities to acquire new skills on making bread so that, eventually, they could start their own community-based bakery to generate an extra source of income.

The representatives from Bantog Samahang Nayon Multi-purpose cooperative (MPC) in the municipality of Asingan, Carosalesan Irrigators Consumer Cooperative in Umingan, Barangay Diaz Bautista Farmers Association in Bautista, and Masigasig Alitaya Farmers Irrigators Association, Inc. in Mangaldan were taught how to bake Filipino favorites such as pandesal, ube cheese rolls, and cinnamon bread in the baking classroom of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-accredited training center in Luciano Millan Memorial School of Arts and Trades in the town of Asingan.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Assistant Regional Director and concurrent-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ma. Ana Francisco said the training, initiated by DAR-Pangasinan and facilitated by TESDA, capacitated agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to start their own small business that can serve as an extra source of income for their respective ARBOs.

“With the assistance of the department, these ARBOs received a complete bakery starter package from Pilmico Foods Corporation and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., which consisted of a 4-plate oven, a 15-tray break rack, a stainless steel working table, a bread display shelf, a dough mixer, 10 bags of Pilmico flour, and various freebies,” Francisco said.

As part of Pilmico’s corporate social responsibility, they also donated six egg machine livelihood kits to six ARBOs including Polong Sur MPC in Malasiqui, Aliguas Dumaralos na Buenlag Inc. sa Calasiao, Northern Bayambang MPC in Bayambang, Umingan Platinum Farmers MPC in Umingan, Rajal Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Balungao, and Catablan ARC Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Urdaneta City.

Francisco said aside from DAR’s provision of free legal services and land tenure improvement, the department also provides support services such as these activities to uplift the lives of ARBs and farmers. (DAR)