Extension Programs and Colleges CBA

College of Business and Accountancy

TSU makes headway to the ARBOs in Hacienda Luisita

Vien Jamaica D. Samson, UESO

Izelle C. Francisco, UESO

          Agrarian reform does not end with land distribution, it immediately followed by support services to its agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). Through the help of the supporting agencies,            Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) engaged the farmers in various technical know-how trainings and seminars to develop the agribusiness and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills that they need to make their lands productive and to improve the quality of life among the ARBs.

            This is true to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) in Hacienda Luisita, where Tarlac State University (TSU) has been tapped by   DAR to implement support interventions through business development services (BDS) and agri- extension services (AES). DAR engaged TSU as a consultant agency to undertake 1st Phase and 2nd Phase of AES and BDS under Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) Project among the five (5) ARBOs namely: Asturias Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Bantog Farmers Agrarian Reform        Cooperative, Mabilog Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Motrico Farmers Agrarian Reform      Cooperative, and Pando Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (all of which are former associations turned into Cooperatives with the help of the said     engagement).

            In a span of three (3) years, TSU had implemented various interventions to address the identified needs of these ARBOs.  However, these past interventions were deemed not enough to bring about the change that is desired for the ARBOs.  More assistance specifically on building higher capability among the officers and members of ARBOs specifically on BDS is still wanting. Therefore, after careful evaluation of the results of a cost-benefit analysis and with the apparent highly satisfactory performance, technical capability and relevant experience in the areas of  business development and agri-extension, DAR has once again called for the TSU’s service which is known   for   its   technical   capability   and   relevantexperience in the areas of business development and extension through the Sustainable Agri-Business and Rural Enterprise Development (SARED) Program, more specifically in the provision of BDS which aimsto continuously provide the services to the ten (10) ARBOs for six (6) months.The five (5) ARBOs that were previously mentioned are  included and the additional five (5) ARBOs are: Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita Association; Balete Damayan Farmers Association, Inc.; Cut-Cut II Farmers Association, Inc.; Kabalikat sa Tagumpay at Kaunlaran Association, Inc.; and Mapalacsiao Farmer Beneficiaries Association, Inc. During the             implementation, additional two (2) ARBOs were also included namely Parang Farmers Producers Cooperative and Our Lady of Lourdes Agrarian Reform Cooperative.

            Generally, the BDS Project aimed to provide services in the areas of business planning and business plan preparation, organizational capacity building and strengthening and policy formulation.                Specifically, it aims to achieve the following:

1. Provide non-financial services (e.g accounting and legal advice) to ARBOs at affordable costs,  supplementing   the  role  of  financial services;
2. Support ARBOs in their business development and promotion of sustained growth; and
3. Facilitate ARBOs’ development of competitive advantages.

            The implementation of BDS project began on March 2018 where TSU team facilitated a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to the ARBOs in which an assessment of the                                accomplishments, status, concerns, and issues were done. By the end of the meeting, a board resolution was approved by the ARBO officers adopting the plans and expressing the                commitment of the organization and its members towards achieving the established goals at the end of the project. In    addition, the DAR field technicians assigned in Hacienda Luisita were present to observe the FGD proceeding and shared their insights in the discussion.

            The project was completed on October 2018, it is indeed a very short-term project due to the span of the activities, trainings and seminar – workshops that has been made that are all based on the identified needs and concerns of their ARBOs

            The summary of accomplishments during the six (6) months intervention under the DAR-TSU SARED-BDS Project to the twelve (12) ARBOs in Hacienda Luisita are the following:

1.  Only ten (10) ARBOs are supposedly beneficiaries of the SARED-BDS Project. However, due to the existence of two (2) other organizations within Hacienda Luisita and upon the request of DAR these organizations were included also as beneficiaries;
2. Five (5) trainings and seminar-workshops were conducted instead of the four (4) required trainings;
3. A total of 171 participants attended the trainings and seminar-workshops surpassing the minimum number of 20 pax per training or a total of 80 trainees;
4. 107 coaching and mentoring sessions were conducted among the 12 ARBOs in Hacienda Luisita, which included alignment of organizational structure, translated duties and    responsibilities, policies, systems and procedures, CSF operational flow, CSF maintenance and operations, CSF transaction documents, CSF records keeping, annual reportorial requirements, actual filling up on the forms for the annual reportorial requirements, and establishment of ARBO core values;
5. Three (3) manuals were produced instead of just one (1) being required; namely: CSF      Operations and Management Manual, Annual Reportorial Requirements by Regulatory Agencies Manual and ARBO Job Description of Cooperative and Association Officers; and
6. Various interventions were also extended to ARBOs requiring special assistance necessary specifically to the two (2) additional ARBOs and the sourcing of carabao which were loaned to     selected ARBO member beneficiaries.

 HRM Department

HRM department delivers extension in Sta. Ines Centro

Ferdinand Y. Silaran, CBA

            The Vessels and Humanity Foundation envisioned a “caring humanity” where givers, receivers, and vessels live in full cycle of giving and sharing to a new world with abundance for all, without boundaries, barriers, and biases. With these visions, the Tarlac State University-Extension Services Office, particularly the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Management (under the College of Business and Accountancy), were asked to provide assistance in the community of Sta. Ines, Centro, Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac.

            On March 18, 2019 a needs assessment activity happened wherein different organizations and business owners were invited, namely, Ms. Nedi Aguas of    Mushroom Growers, Mr. Maiko Pascual of Wood Inspirations, Mr. Gabriel Kent Hayashi of Cindy’s and with over 90 locals, representing different sectors- youth, women, farmers and senior citizen. The activity provides a venue to talk about the possibility of reviving  the  spirit  of  “Bayanihan sa Centro”,  a  pilot  project  of Vessels of Humanity that aims to help the locals in addressing issues in the areas of health, education, employment and livelihood.

            Through the auspices of the department, a livelihood training on Fermentation and    Pickling was held on the 4th of May at Bayanihan Farm, Sta. Ines Centro, Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac, participated by a group of assembled locals in the area.

            The main thrust of this livelihood project is to train the assembled group of locals with the processes of fermentation and pickling, in addition to teaching the locals of the place with the marketing skills required in the production of their products to the local market.

            Equally, the livelihood project is propelled to train other locals within the area of the same processes extended by the CBA-HRM Extension Service Providers, namely, Ms. Criselda A. Tonelada, Ms. Maria Cristina A. Bildan, Mr. Ferdinand Y. Silaran and Mr. Danilo C. Gacusan.   This noble act helps not only the core group of locals but also other locals to alleviate the economic destituteness that they are into now.

            Activities taught to the locals are the following: making atsara and mango jams, the do's and dont's in food handling, and proper product packaging.

Seminar on Business Organization and Development

Maliwalo, Tarlac City

July 5, 2019

Seminar on Costing and Pricing for ARBOs

DAR Provincial Office, Maliwalo, Tarlac City

September 20, 2019

Cost Benefit Analysis on the Water Solar Pump in Balanti High School

Brgy. Balanti, Tarlac City

September 30, 2019

Seminar on Financial Management

Hacienda Gracia Resort Lubao Pampanga

November 18 – November 20, 2019

Skills Training on Chili Paste, Dried Chili, and Chili Flakes and Gift Giving Program

Brgy. Sta. Ines, West, Sta Ignacia, Tarlac

November 29, 2019

Feasibility Study on Cash Loans and Warehouse Rental

San Sebastian, Tarlac City

November 18 – November 20, 2019

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