Quezon City, August 18, 2025 — In a historic stride toward empowering Filipino farmers and advancing rural development, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) have formally sealed a partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the DAR Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City.
The ceremonial signing brought together top officials from both the CDA and the DAR, marking a united effort to strengthen Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs). From the CDA, Undersecretary Alexander B. Raquepo, Assistant Secretary Virgilio Lazaga, and OIC Administrator Ray R. Elevazo were present, while the DAR was represented by Undersecretary Josef Angelo S. Martires and Assistant Secretary James Arsenio O. Ponce.
At the heart of the event was a shared vision: helping ARBOs grow into resilient, dynamic, and sustainable cooperatives that can uplift farming communities. DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, who joined the ceremony, called the partnership a milestone, noting its importance in advancing the welfare of farmers’ organizations under the agency’s care.
“This partnership is an important step in ensuring that agrarian reform beneficiaries are not just recipients of land but active participants in shaping their economic future,” DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III emphasized during the ceremony. He also reiterated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive that agrarian reform should extend beyond land distribution, focusing instead on holistic support for ARBOs.
Under the agreement, the DAR will take the lead in mobilizing and mentoring ARBOs, guiding them through legal compliance, documentation, and institutional strengthening. The CDA, meanwhile, will handle the formal registration of AR cooperatives, issue policies and guidelines, and provide training and capacity-building programs. To further streamline the process, DAR personnel will also be authorized to extend technical assistance in cooperative registration.
Both agencies are likewise committed to a data-sharing mechanism anchored on the Data Privacy Act of 2012, to accelerate the transformation of ARBOs into full-fledged cooperatives while ensuring the confidentiality and security of information.
With legal recognition as cooperatives, ARBOs will now have greater access to government incentives, financing opportunities, and broader market linkages. Beyond economic benefits, the cooperative model is also expected to strengthen community solidarity, promote collective decision-making, and empower farmers to take a more active role in nation-building.
For thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries across the Philippines, the CDA-DAR partnership represents more than just a government agreement, it is a new chapter of hope, collaboration, and shared prosperity.
