A total of 1,200 rural women severely affected by the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic will soon receive livelihood assistance from the government.
Through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Duterte administration is currently helping women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through its project called “The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move to Heal as One Deliverance of our Farmers from Covid-19 Pandemic,” or ARBOld Move project.
In a news statement, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rodolfo Alburo said the ARBOld Move project will extend its support to women ARBs nationwide by providing them with livelihood activities, especially in food production, such as egg and poultry production, hog fattening, and other similar activities based on their preferences and capabilities to ensure they have food on their tables and products to sell.
To start off the project in Sultan Kudarat, Alburo said the ARBOld Move project has already provided livelihood activities to 15 women ARBs in the province of Sultan Kudarat.
The project will allot P15,000 for each livelihood undertaking for each woman for a total allocation of P225,000.
“We also recently provided livelihood starter kits to five women ARBs in Columbio to help them augment their household income during these difficult times,” Alburo said.
Livelihood starter kits amounting to P75,000 were extended to five women farmers from the municipality of Columbio. Each received three healthy live goats costing P5,000 each.
Alburo said procurement activities are ongoing for the supply and delivery of livelihood starter kits for the next 10 women ARBs of the project. The ARBs will be coming from the municipalities of Sen. Ninoy Aquino and Esperanza.
“The provision of livelihood support will contribute to the ARBs’ food production and will also be a good source of income for their families,” Alburo said.
The ARBOld Move project was initiated by DAR Secretary John Castriciones as answer to President Duterte’s call to focus all national agencies’ relief operations in helping the Filipino people during this time of great need, in accordance with Republic Act 11649 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.