Strengthening Agrarian Reform Communities

     Now on it’s 3rd year, PBSP-Western Batangas Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Support Project (PBSP-WestBat) addresses the needs of small farmers, land-lessees, tenants and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB). Several interventions such as livelihood, organizational development training, agricultural productivity, and land tenure security are being implemented with the funding support of InterChurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) and the European Union (EU).

IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD
Household incomes in the communities of Tuy, Calatagan, Lian, Calaca and Balayan are supplemented with the establishment of community enterprises that market local products and resources. Various processed food products from these household beneficiaries are being sold with the brand, “Batangan”.

In cooperation with resource centers such as the Department of Science and Technology-Cottage Industry Training Center and the Department of Trade and Industry, the communities are being trained on how to improve and maximize the market of their products. Cooperatives were also formed to serve as pooling centers for the farmers’ crops before they are brought to major trading centers in Batangas.

STRENGTHENING ORGANIZATIONS
Cooperative managers and leaders are being trained to boost their capability to operate, initiate projects, conduct performance evaluation, and gear up for business expansion.

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY
Three demo farms have been established in three municipalities in Batangas to show farmers how alternative farming methods such as alternate two-variety vegetable crop farming and the use of organic fertilizer work to improve crop yield and income-generation.

The “Salagubang Pestebal” has become an innovative, catchy and environment-friendly way of controlling June Beetles which has huge effects on sugarcane farms. The success of the Pestebal celebration prompted local government agencies to adapt the project and turn it into an annual activity to encourage economic and tourism prospects for the Batangeños.

SECURING LAND TENURE
With the creation of Special Concerns Action Team for Western Batangas through Special Order 244 of the Department of Agrarian Reform, special cases on land ownership by the farmers vs. landowners have been resolved granting security of land tenure to small-time farmers.