The Department of Agrarian Reform in Bicol (DAR-5) is targeting at least 3,438 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to be listed in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) by the end of the year.

Geri Buensalida, DAR-5 information officer, said in a phone interview on Monday that they are encouraging members and non-members of agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) to enroll in the RSBSA so they could easily avail of government assistance.

“We are working it out to register all the 3,438 ARBs. We are also calling those who are not members of ARBOs in their localities to coordinate with the municipal offices to know more about the registration. We want to fast-track the registration as many as we can,” Buensalida said.

The RSBSA is an electronic database containing fundamental information for farmers, fishermen, and agri-fishery workers, as well as government programs and services for target beneficiaries.

It is a requirement for obtaining agri-fishery-related services from government agencies, and private companies.

Romulo A. Britanico, DAR assistant regional director for operations, in a statement, said the DAR and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are strengthening their partnership to register ARBs in the DA’s database system.

“I appreciate the DA’s effort and thorough discussion on the RSBSA program. I will personally follow up with the provinces on this matter. And I hope that our accomplishment with RSBSA registration will increase,” Britanico said.

Based on DA’s data as of June 2022, there are 13,210 ARBs included in the RSBSA.

However, Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Lerma Dino, said the number falls short of the 180,000 ARBs still up for RSBSA enlistment.

Dino urges the DAR officer in Bicol to aggressively pursue RSBSA registration in the hope that ARBs would qualify for government interventions, such as credit services.

“Enrolling the farmer-beneficiaries in the system would allow them to receive government support, such as that provided by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF),” she said in a statement.

Buensalida, meanwhile, said DAR conducted a learning session on agri-insurance underwriting and claims procedures with the PCIC to train eight ARBOs to become agri-insurance program (AIP) underwriters.

“They will act as agents to encourage other ARBs to avail of insurance protection to cover crop losses resulting from natural disasters, plant diseases, and pest infestations,” he said. (PNA)