Department of Agrarian Reform-South Cotabato has equipped its field officers with mediation skills to help resolve disputes.

Mariannie Lauban-Baunto, DAR Soccsksargen chief, said their South Cotabato personnel recently underwent a series of mediation training.

“To successfully resolve agrarian-related conflicts, we need an effective and quick mediation process in the field,” Baunto said in a news release on Tuesday.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Evangeline Bueno added that the activity would enhance the delivery of quality service to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

“We would like to thank the department for their all-out support in our pursuit to enhance our skills and capacity. The training also served as a refresher course to those who already know the basics of mediation proceedings,” Bueno said.

The series of training for DAR field personnel is in response to the nine primary goals of Secretary Conrado Estrella III, aimed at improving the lives of ARBs.

The primary goals identified by Estrella to benefit ARBs are intervention on land tenure problems, agrarian justice delivery, intervention for support services, interventions for medical expenses, educational expenses, technical skills, diversified income sources, farm-to-market roads, and irrigation. (PNA)