MAMBURAO, Occidental Mindoro -- Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from Mamburao provided with financial aid by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).

Thirty-one (31) farmer-members of the United as One Agriculture Cooperative (UNOACO) availed the production loan amounting to

₱1.9 million under the Accessible Loans for Empowered, Resilient, and Transformed Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ALERT ARBOs).

DAR-Mimaropa Regional Director Atty. Marvin Bernal said the 31 ARBs applied for loans to fund their rice and corn production. The ₱1.9-million loan will cover 66 hectares of rice and corn plantations.

“As we seek to reach more farmers nationwide, we are heavily focusing on making loans accessible. This program is aggressively strengthening its goals to provide farmers with direct access to credit through the cooperatives or ARBs they are affiliated with,” Bernal said.

According to Bernal, the province of Occidental Mindoro was the first to avail of the Alert-Arbos program in the Mimaropa region. The ARBs availed of their first loan in February 2023.

“The ARB borrowers of Unoaco have no delinquent payers. By the month of May, they have paid the full amount. That is why they were able to avail this second loan which will have its due date on December 2023,” Bernal said.

ALERT-ARBOs is a lending program of the DAR, LBP, and APCP intended for ARBs to finance the production of their rice, corn, and high-value crops, as well as the acquisition of small farm implements. (DAR MIMAROPA)