THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North has formally turned over the water sanitation facilities to Dolis Agrarian Reform Cooperative (ARC) in Barangay Dolis, Calatrava town.

Some 119 cooperative-members and their households are now benefitting from the project since its completion last month.

DAR-Negros Occidental I Enterprise Development and Economic Support chief Teodoro Che Salido, who led the turnover activity on December 6, said the project does not only provide water filtration system.

Salido said it will also provide additional income to the cooperative.

The seven trained para-engineers awarded with the certificate of completion will replicate these facilities, he added.

Municipal Agrarian Reform program officer Julieta Mangao, for her part, urged the farmer-members to work together in maintaining and developing the project.

"We at the DAR Municipal Office are ready to help you," she told farmers.

Dolis ARC chairman Romeo Bargamento recalled that when they were not yet organized, support and interventions from the government agencies are hardly reaching them.

"We even drink from non-sanitized water sources, especially during the rainy seasons. But now we have these facilities that provide us with safe water," he added.

Aside from the water sanitation project, Dolis ARC was also a recipient of 90-horsepower farm tractor from the DAR.

It has also availed various programs and trainings including the Agrarian Production Credit Program through the agency.

Since its implementation in 2016, the DAR has already awarded such project to a total of eight agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (Arbos) in northern Negros.

Aside from Dolis ARC, these are the Dalayan Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Cadiz City, Hacienda Anita Agrarian Reform Cooperative and Don Esteban Agrarian Reform Cooperative, both in Escalante City, Mirasol Development Corporation Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Sagay City, Dapdap Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Manapla, Hacienda Pula Silay Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Silay City, and Entorilan Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Murcia.