DIPOLOG CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Center for
Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc. have jointly implemented recently
the Microfinance Capacity Development Project for Partner Organizations
(MCDPPO) to provide sustained credit access to agrarian reform beneficiaries
(ARBs) by developing ARB cooperatives as microfinance conduits.
Because of the
significant performance of the project and the need to adopt a more sustainable
approach through the complementation of financial and non-financial services in
its implementation, the project has been scaled up to reach and engage a bigger
number of ARBs/ARB households.
With this, 30 cooperatives
nationwide will be developed as microfinance conduits of which one cooperative
has been selected as project partner in Zamboanga del Norte. This coop is the
Langatian Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (LACARBEMCO) of Langatian,
Roxas, Zamboanga del Norte.
As part of the
formal start of the program, LACARBEMCO underwent a Microfinance Capacity
Development Program Orientation, Planning and Initial Mentoring and Technical
Guidance Session.
To maximize
project resources, the initial mentoring and technical guidance (MATG) which
would focus on the review of the articles of cooperation and by-laws and
vision-mission-goals, objective(VMGO), have been conducted vis-a-vis the project
orientation session with the cooperative officers, staff, selected clients as
well as the municipal agrarian reform officer as participants.
The microfinance
project intends to reach out to more ARBs needing micro-agri financial and
non-financial services, as microfinance is an effective tool for poverty alleviation.
After the said
training, the cooperative has been brought to KIMAYA Peoples Multipurpose
Cooperative in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental for a learning expedition in order to
familiarize its selected officers and management staff with the operation and
implementation of microfinance in the community.
OIC-PARO I Raul
J. Sy, stressed during the opening ceremony, that he hopes that “this program
would succeed and for them to work hand in hand with for the development of the
cooperative.” (PIA9)