By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has carried out field validation and monitoring to fast track the identification of more than 1,000 farmer-beneficiaries for the Convergence for Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project (CLAAP) in Marinduque.
Department of Agrarian Reform (MANILA BULLETIN)
Through DAR’s Central Project Management Unit (CPMU), project coordinator Darwin Espinosa said the province of Marinduque has the most number of target beneficiaries or more than 50 percent of the entire Region 4B (Mimaropa), thus “the province was prioritized for actual site visit and verification.”
The preparation stage of the CLAAP in the province started in December last year.
So far, more than 800 farmers have been subjected to a means test, a tool utilized by the project to determine the actual socio-economic status of potential beneficiaries.
“Bulk of the activities in the first quarter were focused in completing the lists of project beneficiaries,” Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Virgilio Laggui said.
With the presence of the CPMU, the province committed to quickly move on to the next critical project activities, such as clustering and project proposal preparation.
Two clusters were formed from the members of Malbog MultiPurpose Farmers Cooperative in Buenavista and Binunga Farm Workers Association in Boac during the field validation through the focus group discussion.
Possible projects, such as arrowroot production, rice and feeds trading were identified to be subject for the majority approval of the cluster members.
CPMU is the project management unit at the central level which serves as the technical secretariat and responsible for providing technical and administrative assistance to the Steering Committee and CLAAP coordination committees.