Saturday, November 18, 2006 Agency advocates ARCs for indigenous peoples By Marna H. Dagumboy
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is pushing for the development of agrarian reform communities (ARCs) for indigenous peoples (IPs) by tapping the US$1.1-million support services assistance program from the Japanese Government.
Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) support services project for the IPs will include community development, agricultural productivity enhancement program, and provision of rural infrastructure projects.
These are funded by the Second Agrarian Reform Communities Development Project (ARCDP2) under the JSDF.
Pangandaman said that remote farming communities in the provinces of Batanes, Isabela, Bataan, Zambales, Mindoro Occidental, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley will benefit from the development package. "The DAR has identified 25 agrarian reform communities (ARCs) in these provinces. We have started providing assistance to four ARCs with a project cost of P6.06 million," he said.
The ARC beneficiaries are Sabtang ARC in Batanes, Dapdap ARC in Albay, Matalba ARC in Misamis Occidental and Jaguimitan ARC in Compostela Valley.
Pangandaman said the department is working with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to identify the IPs' concerns and to help them prepare the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans (ADSDPP) in their respective ancestral domain areas.
"We constantly involve the IPs in the implementation of the programs through the support of their local governments," he said.
The DAR, in coordination with the NCIP and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) implementing agencies, is coming up with a sustainable development plan to provide the IPs basic services such as health care, education and potable water systems.
"We are prioritizing those who live in far-flung barangays who do not have access to basic services," said the DAR secretary.
