Creation of Support Services Office.
Section 35
SEC. 35. Creation of Support Services Office.—There is hereby created the Office of Support Services under the DAR to be headed by an Undersecretary. The Office shall provide general support and coordinative services in the implementation of the program, particulary in carrying out the provisions of the following services to farmer-beneficiaries and affected landowners: Irrigation facilities, especially second crop or dry season irrigation facilities; Infrastructure development and public works projects in areas and settlements that come under agrarian reform, and for this purpose, the preparation of the physical development plan of such settlements providing suitable barangay sites, potable water and power resources, irrigation systems and other facilities for a sound agricultural development plan; Government subsidies for the use of irrigation facilities; Price support and guarantee for all agricultural produce; Extending to small landowners, farmers and famers' organizations the necessary credit, like concessional and collateral-free loans, for agro-industrialization based on social collaterals like the guarantees of farmers' organizations: Promoting, developing and extending financial assistance to small and medium-scale industries in agrarian reform areas; Assigning sufficient numbers of agricultural extension workers to farmers' organization; Undertake research, development and dissemination of information on agrarian reform and low-cost and ecologically sound farm inputs and technologies to minimize reliance on expensive and imported agricultural inputs; Development of cooperative management skills through intensive training; Assistance in the identification of ready markets for agricultural produce and training in other various aspects of marketing; and Administration, operation, management and funding of support services programs and projects including pilot projects and models related to agrarian reform as developed by the DAR.