SANTA CRUZ, Marinduque (PIA) — Forty-one agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) of Pantayin-Jolo ARB Association in Santa Cruz, Marinduque have gained agri-entrepreneurial skills as they graduate from the Farm Business School (FBS) organized by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
As designed by the DAR and the Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture, the FBS is composed of 25 hands-on sessions focused on farm business management, entrepreneurship, market surveying, costing, and basic accounting among others. Primarily, it aims to increase the farm productivity of the beneficiaries by providing them an opportunity to grow from simple farmers to entrepreneurs.
In behalf of the town’s mayor Marissa Red-Martinez, Municipal Administrator Andres Lubid, emphasized the importance of capacitating the farmers, specifically honing their entrepreneurship, building their businessman mindset, and practicing the right attitude.
Jesse Esplana, one of the graduates, only asked his fellow farmers to continue the demo farm that they have started and to not waste the opportunities and learnings they receive but rather enrich it more as more ventures will come their way.
“We are doing this not only for us but for the future generations as well, for a legacy,” Esplana added.
He is hopeful that someday everything they are doing will come to fruition and they will witness the success everyone is yearning for.
Likewise, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Engr. Virgilio Laggui motivated the graduates to just continue and sustain their farming activities. He reminded them to avoid the dole out mindset instead, reach out to government agencies who can assist them in boosting their farming.
On the other hand, DAR Mimaropa’s Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer for Field Operation Division, Ferdinand de Gala, commended the graduates for their sacrifices to complete the FBS sessions. He uplifted the spirits and raised the morale of the farmers by reminding them of the significant roles they play in the lives of every Filipino.
One of the highlights on their graduation day is the harvest festival as the development of their own community demo farm is the major output of the FBS. After weeks of cultivating an idle space, it now boasts rows of vegetables ready for harvest. Guests and graduates harvested some vegetables which were eventually sold out on that same day.
Moreover, the graduates also received farming tools, seeds, and fertilizer from the DAR. (RAMJR/PIA Mimaropa – Marinduque)
