THE MINDANAO Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (MinSAAD) program will get an additional P1.1 billion next year from the national government’s budget, covering projects in the regions of Northern Mindanao and Caraga as well as areas in southern Mindanao. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the lead implementing agency for the program, said in a statement that the fresh fund is part of their proposed P10.3-billion budget for 2018. The national budget has been approved by the House of Representatives and is due for deliberations this week in the Senate. Acting DAR Secretary Rosalina L. Bistoyong said the additional amount will help the agency strengthen its support projects to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). The five-year MinSAAD, launched in 2013, has an initial allocation of P4.85 billion, of which P3.35 billion is a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the rest is the Philippine government’s counterpart fund. The program is intended to help about 69,000 ARBs in seven provinces by boosting agricultural productivity through infrastructure, equipment, and institutional development. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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