BACOLOD CITY – The Agrarian Reform Communities Project (ARCP) 2 in Negros Occidental was launched Wednesday by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) at a ceremony held in Bacolod City’s Sugarland Hotel.

The affair was highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by DAR and stakeholders, cooperating agencies, and farmer-assisted organizations.

DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO 11) Gideon Umadhay, Jr. and DAR Regional Director Alexis Arsenal led the launching ceremony.

ACRP 2 is a support services program of DAR extended to agrarian reform beneficiaries and farmers, after the extension of the CARP. It is an extended offshoot program based in Guimaras and Panay Islands, where ACRP 1 had been implemented.

Mr. Umadhay said, “We focused only on beneficiaries of agrarian reform. The project objectives are aimed at mobilizing communities and improving the quality of life for specific groups, assisting farms and enterprises to be more productive, stabilizing land tenure, increasing access to appropriate rural finance, improving rural infrastructures, and improving institutional effectiveness for the long-term sustainability of gains.”

According to Regional Director Arsenal, ARCP 2 is designed to provide development investments in four components: community development, agriculture and enterprise development, rural infrastructure, and project management.

Components include: agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and representatives of Brgy. Development Council including ARBs and non-ARBs.

The launching Wednesday was highlighted by the signing of an MOA by DAR, and tie-up agencies as well as mayors, the local Philippine Army command, representatives of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs), non-government organizations (NGOs), businesses, and other sectoral representatives.