THE national government through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) formally opened the gate valves of development to six barangays of Catigbian town as the recent beneficiaries of the prime social justice programs support services as its birthday gift.
DAR, through Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Johnson Sinco with Catigbian Local Officials led by Mayor Roberto Salinas and guests launched new agrarian reform communities in Cambailan, Hagbuaya, Bagtic, Bongbong, Mahayag Norte and Mahayag Sur or (CHABBMANS) with accompanying site visits June 17, in time for the town’s diamond jubilee.
The new agrarian reform communities would allow the people to get more livelihood support through related agri-based enterprises, says Catigbain Agrarian Reform Officer Laura Lacea.
Elated over the development, Mayor Salinas said “People living in these areas longed for this program because they have seen and even indirectly benefited from the projects and programs now experienced by the people of ARC Mantacida and LHAMP KPT ARBS.
The six barangays complete Catigbain’s list of beneficiaries who have received different interventions both directly and indirectly by the support services brought by the project.
According to Lacea, the interventions are aimed to increase farm production, improve household income and promote sustainable development.
In his message delivered during the follow-on program held at the Catigbian Sports Oval, PARO Sinco hailed the physical transformation of the town, which run parallel to the efforts of the DAR in helping farm communities families attain better lives.
“Improvements here are incomparable because you have leaders like Mayor Roberto Salinas,” Atty Sinco bared as he italicized that the first wealth of the town is its leaders.
He also said that “only with strong leadership can you have projects like DAR implements because you are assured of people who will work even beyond their official time.”
He added that it is also true to the whole of Bohol where local government officials led by Governor Erico Aumentado and Congressional representatives Chatto, Cajes and Jala never stopped until Bohol got into the list.
He shared that Bohol was not supposed to benefit from the Agrarian Reform Community Development Projects 2, but with the incessant egging of the local leaders, ARCDP 2 concluded with Bohol having 13 town beneficiaries and only Guindulman dropping out.
As ARCDP 2 expired, Sinco also declared Catigbian as part of the ABCD beneficiaries of Bohol’s Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Project 3. (ARISP 3)
ARISP 3 beneficiaries are Alicia, Balilihan, Catigbain and Danao. (PIA)