PONTEVEDRA – The Department of Agrarian Reform South of Negros Occidental and the Land Bank of the Philippines-Bacolod turned over a P3 million check as credit support to the members of the Hacienda Carmenchica Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Farmers Association at Brgy. Don Salvador Benedicto here yesterday.

The credit support is being provided through the Agrarian Production Credit Program of DAR, LBP, and the Department of Agriculture.

LBP development assistance center head, Pedrito Cabuguason, who was at the turnover, said they had already released the P1.8 million last month that was used as capital for production of HCARBFA members.

Cabuguason said the remaining P1.2 million will be used as budget for the harvesting and milling of crops.

They did not release the P3 million at once so that farmers will still have money to use for their future needs and for them not be tempted to use the funds for other purposes, he said.

Cabuguason reminded farmers of their responsibility to utilize the funds efficiently and he hopes that through APCP they will increase their production and sustainability.

Lucrecia Taberna, OIC-provincial agrarian reform officer-South, also said APCP is one of the support services of DAR that aims to prevent farmers from leasing their lands and to enable them to continue farming through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Pontevedra Mayor Jomar Alonso also challenged the farmers to efficiently use the money for crop production and asked its members to cooperate in managing their farms for effective sugarcane production.

Alonso also said he believes that there is no chance of misusing the credit fund because farmers have gone through a lot before they got to where they are now.

HCARBFA chairman Wilbur Oñas said he is very thankful to DAR for its assistance in the processing of loan application and to LBP for granting their proposal.

Ronald Gareza, DAR-South chief agrarian reform program officer, said the farmers have to pay an annual interest rate of 8.5 percent with a 2-percent rebate on advance payment.

Gareza said the association can also relend the money at 15 percent interest to its members so their organization can earn as well.*LTG

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