by Ma. Kathleen C. Cabal

A Board of Directors Meeting of Dila Multipurpose Cooperative for Progress, Inc. (DMCP, Inc.) was held in Brgy. Dila, Bay, Laguna on January 27.

Councilor Menandro Curibot, the Board of Directors chairperson, together with Board of Directors members Emeterio Masa and Wensislao Arboleda were in attendance. Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Ramon Sacramento, together with Mr. Danilo Yjares and Ms. Annaly Cutay from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) also took part in the meeting.

The board tackled one of the major concerns regarding the cooperative’s license renewal at the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). Since the cooperative has not been able to accomplish the requirements prescribed by the CDA for the past two years, they were given a notice for the dissolution of the cooperative.

According to BOD chairperson Curibot, the operation of the cooperative is still ongoing despite their license situation. They are also currently addressing their problems in collection and their need for cost-cutting. The Department of Agrarian Reform, through Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Sacramento, is currently assisting the DMCP, Inc. in bringing them back in stable condition.

The said cooperative received a Php250,000.00 grant from DAR as part of the Agricultural Development Fund which is being used to help the cooperative members and to continue the operation of the cooperative.

Barangay Dila, Bay, Laguna is one of the areas identified by DAR as an Agrarian Reform Community.

An Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) is a “barangay or cluster of barangays where there is a critical mass of farmers and farm workers awaiting the full implementation of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP.”

With Barangay Dila being an ARC, it became a priority area for DAR to provide projects. In particular, it became a part of the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Program II or ARISP II. This program will be having a series of incoming projects for the areas identified by DAR. Included in the areas identified by DAR in Bay, Laguna are Brgy. Puypoy, Brgy. Maitim and Brgy. San Antonio. These communities received land titles or certificate of land ownership awards from DAR.

As emphasized by Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Sacramento, “Siyempre it is not enough na mabigyan mo sila ng lupa. Anong gagawin nila para maging productive ‘yon? Kailangan nila ng mga support services”. These support facilities include farm to market roads, irrigation, potable water supply, and post harvest facilities. Sacramento also stressed that with the Department of Agrarian Reform, “hindi lang lupa at support services ang binibigay but also dignity as the new land owners”. He explained that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP already ended on June 2009. What is currently being implemented is the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform (CARPER).

CARPER is a five-year extension of CARP “which aims to accomplish the backlogs in terms of land distributions and support services.” Sacramento clarified that CARP is not the sole responsibility of DAR. There are several agencies listed as CARP implementing agencies including Department of Agriculture, National Irrigation Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Trade and Industry, Land Registration Authority, Land Bank of the Philippines, and Department of Labor and Employment – Bureau of Rural Workers.

DMCP, Inc. started as Samahang Nayon on October 10, 1970. The said cooperative was registered at the CDA 18 years later. As of today, the cooperative have a total of 246 members. The cooperative currently has 45 active members.

They have already submitted all the necessary requirements for license renewal December 29 last year and they are set to submit the audited financial statement today at the CDA.