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Under
the "Philippines 2000", socio-economic transformation is
envisioned. This is expected to elevate the country to one Asia's
Newly Industrializing Countries (NIC). By then, the country would
have attained an annual growth rate in GNP of 6-8%, a per capita GNP
of $1,000 and opverty icidence reduced to 30%.
| ITEMS |
ACTUAL
RESULTS AND TARGETS |
| 1) Annual Growth Rate in GNP
2) per Capita GNP
3) Poverty Incidence |
1987-1992
1992-1998
1990
1998
1991
1998
|
4.1 %
6-8 %
730 US$
1,000 US$
39.2 %
30.0 % |
This will be pursued through the twin strategy
of global competitiveness and people empowerment. The MTPDP (1993-1998)
identified agro-industrial development to serve as engine for the
economy the main source of sustained and broad-based growth of output
and employment.
Within this context, the CARP shall be vigorously implemented to complete
by June 1998 the distribution of the 10.3 million ha. of land. This
shall form the broad production base for sustained agricultural growth
and development. As of December 1995, a total of 3.8 million ha. of
land has been distributed to 1.8 million farmer beneficiaries (FBs).
However, agricultural productivity has remained low. This is primarily
attributed to inadequate infrastructure and facilities that would
support production, post-harvest, processing and marketing of products.
With the ratification of the Uruguay
Round-General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the door has
been opened to the agricultural sector for a wider export possibilities
and increased market competition. Given this development, the need
to provide the basic support infrastructure and services such as irrigation,
farm-to-market roads and post-harvest facilities especially in CARP
areas has been magnified. These infrastructures and services should
help cushion the impact of the GATT on small farmers as well as help
increase the global competitiveness of the agriucultural sector in
terms of production and product quality. In
the context of these developments and the long-term goal of poverty
alleviation, the DAR conceptualized the Agrarian Infrastructure
Support Project (ARISP) to provide the essential infrastructure
to priority ARCs.
The DAR prepared the Study Report on the ARISP
in JUne 1994 for presentation to the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) with the objective of requesting the Government of
Japan (GOJ) for financial assistance for its implementation. IN consideration
of the request of the Government of the Philippines (GOP), the Overseas
Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) Japan sent a mission to the Philippines
in January 1995 to evaluate and appraise the ARISP. The loan Agreement
(L/A) for the ARISP was signed on August 30, 1995 between the GOP
and OECF, with the DAR as the GOP primary executing agency.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the Project is to alleviate
poverty, institute agrarian change and spur economic progress in the
ARCs as manifested in terms of income increases and improvement in
the living standards of the farmers. In specific terms, the households
in ARCs are expected to enjoy an average annual income of Php 60,000
thus, effectively raising them above the poverty threshold. This is
being pursued through the provision of essential infrastructure support
that an ARC would need in order for it to take off from its present
state of underdevelopment. The specific
objectives of the Project are:
- To increase farm production by providing
a steady supply of irrigation water for farming;
- To improve mobility of rural people and
their farm produce within and outward the project sites through
the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads;
- To raise the agricultural productivity
of the farmers through the provision of post-harvest facilities;
and
- To strengthen farmers' organizations to
ensure viability of the Project.
- To formulate the future program of ARISP
(ARISP Phase II)
COMPONENTS
- Irrigation and Drainage Facilities
This component focuses on the small-scale irrigation projects
which are run-of-river type communal irrigation facilities, each
with a net irrigation service area of 50-500 hectares.
-
Post-Harvest Facilities
To maximize the agricultural production of the farmer beneficiaries,
post harvest facilities are provided. The lands are usually
provided by the irrigator's associations (IAs). The facilities
are managed, operated and maintained by farmers' groups/associations
with concerned agencies providing technical assistance.
The components of post-harvest facilities are warehouse and
solar dryers. The capacity of each facility will depend on the
irrigation service area and typical standards in the Philippines.
In this project, a warehouse floor area, in general, is 340
square meters for 191 hectares of CISs and CIPs with storage
capacity of 410 tons (656 cubic meter) of paddy. On the other
hand, the multi-purpose pavements (concrete solar dryers) have
minimum floor area of 2000 square meters for 191 hectares of
CIS and CIPs with capacity of 575 tons of paddy.
-
Farm-to-Market Roads
To improve the mobility of people, goods and services within
and outward the ARCs, the Project provides for the rehabilitation
and improvement of 384 km of existing roads and the construction/opening
of 174 km of new roads.
-
Institutional
Development
The ARC program places great importance to the role of farmers'
organizations and cooperatives in building viable and self-reliant
communities. However, farmers' organizations in the project
sites are still relatively young. The Project, therefore, incorporates
community organizing and enhances the beneficiaries capabilities
to handle agri-based enterprises. There are undertaken in the
form of social preparation work and skills training's for cooperative
leaders and farmers members.
At the end of the project, community organizing efforts would
have yielded a number of farmer cooperatives/associations with
farmer members socially prepared for collective activities and
trained on technical skills, farm management and marketing,
among others.
Institutional build-up of IAs, the main theme of the participatory
program of NIA, is a vital component of a communal irrigation
development program. Institutional activities in IAs by Irrigation
Development Officers (IDOs) are essential for construction works
for strengthening the operation and maintenance capability of
IAs. one IDO is assigned to one or two CISs or CIPs and the
institutional activities for CIS/CIP are carried out in parallel
with the design and construction works.
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