The Department of Agrarian Reform has allocated P300 million to help farmer-beneficiaries cope up with the negative impact on their livelihood due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Secretary John Castriciones said the P300-million budget would be sourced out from the reprogrammed and realighed budget of the agrarian reform beneficiaries development sustainability program and unobligated allotment from the different units of the agency's Support and Services Office.
DAR is now extending help and support to thousands of the farmers through "The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move to Heal as One Deliverance of our ARBs from the COVID 19 Pandemic" project.
The DAR chief said the project was created in response to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469.
"This project intends to provide immediate and essential support services to men and women agrarian reform beneficiaries to mitigate the impact of the enhanced community quarantine measures due to the pandemic and to address the demands affecting the agricultural sector even after the ECQ has been lifted or upon the start of the new normal," he said.