MORE agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Negros Occidental have extended help to their fellow farmers and other residents in the province amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In Silay City, members of the Progreso Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Parc) provided food packs to its members at Barangay Guimbalaon last week.
The food packs contain five kilograms of rice and a pack of groceries worth P500 to a total of 32 recipients.
Parc is an agrarian reform cooperative, has a total of 32 ARBs managing the 33-hectare land acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
The association's main crop is sugarcane, but is currently diversifying to rice and root crops.
In Manapla town, the Candelaria Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Carc), has distributed financial assistance to its members and other farmworkers recently.
Some 102 beneficiaries received a total amount P78,000 worth of aid which was taken from the revenue and capital gains out of their harvest from the previous crop year.
Also assisted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental - North, the cooperative is composed of 53 member-ARBs.
It is located at Hacienda Candelaria in Barangay Purisima and manages the 44.2293-hectare of Carp-acquired land.
In Cadiz City, the Caridad Farmers Association (Cafa) has distributed relief goods to its members and other farmworkers at Barangay Luna earlier this month.
The goods distributed to 41 households contain five kilograms of rice, a pack of dried fish and some instant noodles.
The agrarian reform cooperative has a total of 40 member-ARBs that collectively manages the 22.7306 hectares.
The association's main crop is sugarcane. It is also diversifying to squash, bananas and leafy vegetables production.
Also in Manapla town, the Candelaria Farmers Association (Cafa) has distributed fish and newly-distributed peanuts to its members and other farmworkers at Barangay Luna.
The association gave out a kilogram of fish and two kilograms of peanuts out of their harvest to some 60 recipients.
Of the beneficiaries, 28 are members of the association that were collectively managing the 30-hectares land also acquired under Carp.
DAR-Negros Occidental I said these acts of generosity and kindness by the agrarian cooperatives are "what we need during these trying times."
"The agency will continually capacitate and mold various organizations in the province to be effective, efficient and model associations and citizens of the nation," it said.
Earlier, various agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (Arbos) in the northern portion of the province also extended help to their members and fellow farmers.
"A laudable act in deed," it said, adding that farmers are also frontliners in terms of ensuring food supply during this Enhanced Community Quarantine.*
Contributed Photo: Members of the Progreso Agrarian Reform Cooperative help prepare the food packs to be distributed to its members at Barangay Guimbalaon last week.
NGCP distributes goods as part of P1-B Covid-19 aid
On Saturday, April 11, NGCP commenced the distribution of P500 million-worth of grocery items, in line with its PhP1 Billion assistance to the national government's Covid-19 relief and response efforts.
"We are very pleased to turnover these relief packs as we hope these will help sustain our partner communities given the extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. Distribution in select locations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will be made over the next weeks," stated the company.
Last March 30, NGCP wrote Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pledging PhP 1 billion to help the national government in its efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
"NGCP's pledge of medical equipment is also in the process of procurement. The much needed equipment will be distributed to identified hospitals as soon as they arrive," added the company.
The donation is over and above earlier NGCP donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), meals, and other equipment for medical frontliners, as well as the Meals on Wheels program where hot meals are distributed to indigent members of the community. NGCP plans to continue helping various host communities, even beyond its previous efforts, and P1B pledge of assistance.
"We understand the importance of a collective, unified effort to combat this pandemic. NGCP assures its stakeholders that the company will continue to support the government in battling this global health emergency," stated the company.
NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country's power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyiuto, Jr. (EPN/With PR)