OCAMPO, Camarines Sur – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) linked arms to provide financial assistance to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the Bicol region.
A total of 12 ARBS from Naga, Tinambac, Calabangue, and Ocampo were the first batch to avail of a total of P1.6 million production loan from the Accessible Funds for Delivery to ARBs (AFFORD-ARBs).
AFFORD-ARBs is a lending program of the DAR, LBP, and PCIC intended for ARBs to finance the production of their rice, corn, and high-value crops, as well as the acquisition of small farm implements.
Theodore Reuben Sindac, DAR Bicol Regional Director said the 12 ARBs got an approved loan ranging between 60,000 to 400,000 each, according to their submitted farm plan and budget.
“We want our ARBs to have ‘credit consciousness’ so that they will know that they can build or recover whatever losses they encounter through credit programs of the government. We also challenge them to make use of the credit facility wisely,” Sindac said.
The Landbank, in coordination with the DAR, conducted a pre-release orientation with Account Officer Roberto B. Remoto, and Account Assistant Germie Lyn C. Barquilla to review and reiterate the contents of the signed loan documents and of the loan features availed. The loan applicants were also given assistance in opening ATM card accounts so that they could receive the approved loan amount in May, just in time for the planting activities.
During the orientation, financial literacy training was conducted where Remoto explained the purpose of AFFORD-ARBs, which is to increase the income of the farmers and refrain them from borrowing from private entities with high-interest rates.
“The AFFORD-ARBs program has a low-interest rate of only 5% per year. We provided them with sample computations to ensure that all the applicants can compute and understand the loans they are applying for,” Remoto said.
Remoto emphasized that only applicants with good repayment standing can avail of the renewal of the loan.
He added that the application for PCIC was also discussed to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations of their crops. This is part of the pre-release requirements before the loan can be downloaded to the farmers’ bank account.
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Mga magsasaka ng Bicol makikinabang sa programang pinansyal ng DAR, LBP, at PCIC
OCAMPO, Camarines Sur – Nagsanib-pwersa ang Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), sa pakikipagtulungan sa Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), at Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) upang magbigay ng tulong pinansyal sa mga agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) sa rehiyon ng Bicol.
May kabuuang 12 ARBs mula sa Naga, Tinambac, Calabangue at Ocampo ang unang batch na nakakuha ng kabuuang P1.6 milyong production loan mula sa Accessible Funds for Delivery to ARBs (AFFORD-ARBs).
Ang AFFORD-ARBs ay isang programa sa pautang ng DAR, LBP, at PCIC na naglalayong tustusan ang produksyon ng palay, mais, at iba pang mga pananim ng mga ARB, gayundin ang pagkuha ng maliliit na kagamitan sa pagsasaka.
Sinabi ni Reuben Theodore Sindac, DAR Bicol Regional Director, na ang 12 ARB ay nakakuha ng aprubadong loan na nasa pagitan ng 60,000 hanggang 400,000 bawat isa, ayon sa kanilang isinumiteng farm plan at budget.
“Nais naming magkaroon ng ‘credit consciousness’ ang mga ARB para malaman nila na kaya nilang buuin o mabawi ang anumang pagkalugi na kanilang nararanasan sa pamamagitan ng mga credit program ng gobyerno. Hinahamon din namin sila na gamitin nang tama ang programang pautang ng pamahalaan,” ani Sindac.
Ang Landbank, sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa DAR, ay nagsagawa ng pre-release orientation kasama si Account Officer Roberto B. Remoto, at Account Assistant Germie Lyn C. Barquilla upang suriin at ipaalala ang mga nilalaman ng mga nilagdaang dokumento ng pautang at ang mga nilalaman ng pautang na magagamit. Tinulungan din ang mga applikante ng pautang sa pagbubukas ng ATM card accounts para matanggap nila ang aprubadong loan amount sa Mayo, sa tamang buwan para sa mga aktibidad sa pagtatanim.
Sa oryentasyon, isang financial literacy training ang isinagawa kung saan ipinaliwanag ni Remoto ang layunin ng AFFORD-ARBs na pataasin ang kita ng mga magsasaka at maiwasan nilang mangutang sa mga pribadong institusyon na may mataas na interes.
“Ang programang AFFORD-ARBs ay may mababang interes na 5% lamang bawat taon. Binigyan namin sila ng sample computations para masigurado na lahat ng mga aplikante ay makaka-compute at makakaintindi sa mga pautang na kanilang ina-aplayan,” ani Remoto.
Binigyang-diin ni Remoto na ang mga aplikante lamang na may magandang repayment standing ang maaaring makakuha ng renewal ng loan.
Dagdag pa niya, napag-usapan din ang aplikasyon para sa PCIC upang mabigyan ng insurance protection ang mga magsasaka laban sa mga pagkalugi na dulot ng mga natural na kalamidad, sakit sa halaman, at infestation ng mga peste sa kanilang mga pananim. Bahagi ito ng pre-release requirements bago ma-download ang loan sa bank account ng mga magsasaka.
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