NAVAL, Biliran – In its desire to increase the sales of agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations’ (ARBOs) products, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Biliran Provincial Office launched on Monday the “ARBOs Shelf.”
“ARBOs Shelf” is literally a shelf where products produced by the different ARBOs across the province are displayed for sale.
Maryvic Cempron, chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) at DAR Biliran, disclosed that Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Thelma Alba provided a corner near the office’s entrance for this purpose, to be visible for everyone, particularly visitors. A first in Eastern Visayas.
“This is one way of helping our ARBOs promote and market their products,” said Cempron. “Anyhow, it was we, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), who helped them develop those products for their livelihood,” she added.
Initially, products that are currently available in the “shelf” are: coco vinegar produced by Villaconsuelo Tree Planters Agriculture Cooperative, ‘sapin-sapin’ (Imelda Agrarian Reform Cooperative), banana chips (Lico Agrarian Reform Cooperative), romblon bags (Looc Cabucgayan Agrarian Reform Cooperative), ‘atsara’, plain and spiced vinegar (Balaquid Agrarian Reform Cooperative), and other products within the agrarian reform community (ARC) areas.
During the opening day alone, the “shelf” was able to register P5,495 in sales from employees and clients.
Last year, ARBO products in said province were able to generate P2,758,458.40 through orders, trade fairs and by linking them to institutional buyers.
This year, Cempron stressed that DAR Biliran is looking forward to hit the P3-million mark by December. To achieve this, DAR-Biliran will soon be going online in marketing ARBO products.
Cempron’s division find ways to identify the necessary support services that would help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) improve their quality of life through increased production and higher income. Every ARB is encouraged to join ARBO where various government assistance are being poured.
(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)
