In a significant move to enhance the lives of agrarian reform beneficiaries in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) have intensified their collaboration. The partnership, solidified during a meeting at the DAR Central Office on February 3, 2025, aims to uplift over 65,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries in the region.
The initiative includes a broad spectrum of support services designed to improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods. These services encompass infrastructure development like farm-to-market roads and bridges, provision of common service facilities such as farm implements, machinery, and equipment, and the development of agri-enterprise programs that focus on community formation and strengthening agrarian reform beneficiary organizations. Additionally, the partnership will offer Islamic microfinancing schemes, legal assistance, and land tenure support.
According to DAR, BARMM hosts 67,777 agrarian reform beneficiaries, 280 beneficiary organizations, and 112 agrarian reform communities, all poised to benefit from these comprehensive support services. Undersecretary Amihilda Sangcopan of the DAR Office of Mindanao Affairs highlighted that strategic initiatives discussed on January 30 between key officials of both agencies are set to enhance agricultural productivity and livelihoods for Bangsamoro beneficiaries.
Taugan Kikay, the Bangsamoro Director General for Agrarian Reform leading the MAFAR delegation, expressed appreciation for DAR’s ongoing support, emphasizing that the strengthened partnership will play a crucial role in the success of agrarian reform in Bangsamoro, empowering beneficiaries and fostering regional economic growth.
The collaboration was formalized in November 2023 when DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III and BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, Al Haj signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). This MOU facilitates resource sharing and coordinated efforts to effectively implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the region.