DAR , DSWD sign agreement to provide livelihood assistance for agrarian reform beneficiaries
Enero 22-28 , 2018
DAR Secretary John Castriciones ( center ) signs the partnership agreement between DAR and DSWD to increase the household income of farmers by developing and improving their business enterprises . ( From left to right ) DSWD Undersecretary Ma . Lourdes Turalde- Jarabe , DSWD Secretary Emmanuel Leyco , DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Rosalina Bistoyong and DAR Undersecretary for Special Concerns Emily Padilla . ( Photo courtesy of DAR )
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Cotabato Provincial and Magpet Municipal police officers .
On the same day , in Barangay Tempuran , Magpet , North Cotabato , Datu Maylan Andas of the Manobo Aromanen Pasakkaday Association ( MAPA ) was also abducted while feeding his chickens .
On January 16 , Filjun Celeste Arpajo and Venjie Catampo , residents of Barangay Marayag , Lupon , Davao Oriental , were also abducted by military elements to be used as ‘ guides ’ in their counterinsurgency operations . Both are still in the custody of the military .
Recently , students and teachers of Lumad school ALCADEV were forced to evacuate from their communities after the military started operations — intense surveillance using drones and firing canyons to instill fear among the people .
“ We demand justice for all the victims of political
There ... continued from page 8 declaration of martial law .
“ Perhaps the declaration of martial law is not intended to defeat the rebels but to silence critiques of the government and other opposition ,” he said .
Monsod also pointed out that that fighting against the NPAs was not even included in the original declaration of martial law .
The NPAs were only included in list of armed groups in the second extension of martial law in Mindanao .
Monsod added , “ To imply that martial law with its extraordinary powers is a benign solution to our problems is a misrepresentation that has a conditioning effect on our people to accept authoritarianism until it ’ s too late to stop , and this should not be allowed to happen .” Not enough information
In his interpellation , Leonen asked Lagman if Congress was given the Operational Directive of the Chief of Staff to the Service Commands for the extension of martial law . Lagman said the only killings . Human rights violations continue as sanctioned by AFP Commander-in-Chief , Rodrigo Duterte himself . We hold Duterte , Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana , AFP Chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero and Philippine Army Commanding General Rolando Bautista responsible for the hundreds of deaths ,” KMP ’ s Flores said .
The military has also increased their operations in Southern Tagalog . In Batangas , the 730th Combat Group of the Philippine Air Force ( PFA ) intensified their operations in Calaca and Nasugbu . In Quezon Province , a fact-finding team was blocked by the 85th IB on January 17 . The team was supposed to investigate reports of harassments and military encampments in civilian areas in Barangay Jonggo , Lopez , Quezon Province .
In Quezon province , a fact-finding team was blocked at Barangay Jonggo , Lopez town by the 85th Infantry Battalion , Philippine Army of the 2nd
thing provided to Congress was the letter of President Duterte with the recommendations by the Secretary of National Defense and the Chief of Staff .
“ Was there intelligence information given to each member of the House and the Senate when they reviewed the factual basis of the assertions in the letter ?” Leonen asked .
Lagman said there was a briefing before the joint session but there were no confidential reports relayed to them .
Leonen then asked Lagman , “ So Congress relied on a briefing but was not given materials when it actually voted for the extension of martial law in the entirety of Mindanao for one year ?”
“ You were relying on the letter of the President , the letter of the SND ( Secretary of National Defense ), the letter of the chief of staff and the words given only during the briefing ?” he added . Lagman responded in the affirmative adding that they were given only three minutes to interpellate the executive panel . Question left unanswered
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Infantry Division , January 17 . The FFM team was about to investigate reports of military encampment and harassment in the communities .
“ Thirty-one long years after Mendiola Massacre , farmers are still being killed in their defense of their lands . Justice for the slain farmers are long overdue ,” the peasant leader said .
On January 22 , peasant groups , led by KMP , will hold protest actions in Manila , Batangas , Laguna , Cavite , Quezon Province , Negros , Bicol , Davao City , and other urban centers to commemorate the 31st year of the Mendiola Massacre . As a national day of protest , the protest will register their indignation against the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion ( TRAIN ) and impending charter change , where the proposed Constitution will open 100 percent ownership of alienable and disposable lands to foreign entities .
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno meanwhile in her interpellation to Colmenares said that there was one question that was left unanswered in the previous oral arguments also on martial law .
Sereno was among the Justices who affirmed the declaration of martial law but only in Marawi City and the rest of Lanao del Sur , Maguindanao , and Sulu . In her dissenting opinion , Sereno said that President Duterte “ was unable to lay down sufficient factual basis to declare martial law and suspend the writ of habeas corpus ” in the whole Mindanao region .
“ What really were the martial law powers required for when we heard this question last year ? Have you found an answer to that ? What does a really good government need martial law for ?”
Colmenares said they have pointed out in their motion for reconsideration after the SC affirmed the Duterte ’ s first declaration of martial law in 2017 that the government has refused to fully divulge what specific martial law powers it needed .
DAR , DSWD sign agreement to provide livelihood assistance for agrarian reform beneficiaries
QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Agrarian Reform ( DAR ) signed a livelihood program partnership agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development ( DSWD ) to increase the household income of farmers by developing and improving their agri-business enterprises .
DAR Secretary John Castriciones said the program called “ Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project ” ( CLAAP ) will benefit 36,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries ( ARBs ) and non- ARBs in 749 agrarian reform communities ( ARCs ) and agrarian reform areas throughout the country .
“ The partnership is geared towards a common goal of improving the lives of farmers by helping them develop their agricultural enterprises . This will be conducted by helping them establish livelihood businesses like vegetable / fruit farming , food processing , vermicomposting , livestock raising , just to name a few ,” Castriciones said .
DSWD Secretary Emmanuel Leyco said CLAAP is a development partnership between DAR and DSWD which supports DAR ’ s thrust of expanding and increasing farmers ’ access to economic opportunities .
Duterte ....
( OFB ) is envisioned to provide a wide array of financial services to overseas Filipinos , especially the country ’ s migrant workers , so that they would no longer be vulnerable to expensive remittance services and investment scams ,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said .
Dominguez said the OFB will handle remittances , support investments made by overseasbased Filipinos , and help build their financial literacy as well as “ financial sophistication .”
“ The OFB is another step towards reshaping our economic progress to make it more inclusive . It will help fulfill our goal of shifting to an investment-driven economy . More important , our overseas workers would be able to invest in their country which they have helped transform into one of the
“ If the government will say that it is only for psychological effect then we cannot grant President Duterte the heavy martial law powers when it ’ s not even needed ,” he said .
This has led them to question the need for martial law to quell the rebellion as it has been going on for years even after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos ‘ martial law had ended . He said the government has not also specified the targets except that there are still remaining members of the extremist groups
“ The farmers , who belong to the poorest sector , are the majority of our constituents . This is an expected partnership [ with DAR ] because both agencies share the same beneficiaries , the poor farmers ,” said Leyco .
Under the memorandum of agreement , the DSWD will allocate and transfer to DAR P1 billion for the implementation of CLAAP .
DAR , for its part , will provide P186 million worth of its manpower , technical and management skills and the cost of series of capacity building training for the farmers .
DAR Undersecretary for support services Rosalina Bistoyong said the DAR will be responsible for the implementation activities including planning , supervision , and procurement of materials for the establishment / assistance of farmers ’ agri-businesses .
“ To ensure its success , we will continuously monitor and evaluate the establishment and development of each agribusiness of the farmers ,” said Bistoyong .
The implementation of CLAAP will start on May 2018 and will end on December 2019 .
The signing of the livelihood program partnership agreement was held at the DSWD central office in Quezon City . ( DAR / EPC / SDL / PIA-NCR )
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fastest-growing economies in the region ,” Dominguez said .
He clarified that the Bank was initially conceptualized as a financial institution for OFWs , but its coverage was expanded to include all Filipinos based overseas to make it more inclusive .
“ There is no other institution like this one ,” said Dominguez .
As a subsidiary of the Land Bank of the Philippines , Dominguez said the OFB can be assured of “ exemplary financial expertise and sufficient capital to ensure its success .”
He said the DOF and LandBank are also planning to secure licenses in other countries with large concentrations of overseas Filipinos so the LandBank can provide financial advisory services to the Filipino communities in these areas . ( PIA- NCR / EPC / SDL )
such as the Abu Sayaff , the Maute group , the BIFF and the NPA .
“ All of which your Honors , for us petitioners , do not constitute the level of public safety required by the imposition of martial law ,” he said .
Sereno then asked Colmenares about their theory on what the martial law extension is for . “ Is it a political tool ? What kind of tool ? What is it really for ?” Colmenares said they believe that martial law is intended to suppress the critics of the Duterte administration .
The oral arguments were held on Jan . 16 and 17 .