LANDBANK Rolls Out Capacity-Building Initiative To Empower Agri Players

LAL-LO, Cagayan — In line with its continuing mission to boost the agriculture sector and accelerate rural development, LANDBANK launched a comprehensive capacity-building program to equip agricultural players with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed for sustained growth and success.

The LANDBANK Agri-Fishery Support thru Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development (ASCEND) Program addresses the critical need for tailored interventions among agricultural stakeholders to ensure productive and profitable agri-business ventures, in line with Republic Act 11901 or “The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development (AFRD) Financing Enhancement Act of 2022.”

Under the LANDBANK ASCEND, the Bank targets to support at least 10,000 small farmers, fishers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) nationwide annually starting in 2025.

LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz, alongside National Government partners Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Roger V. Navarro and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office II Director Primo C. Lara, with local partner Lal-lo Vice Mayor Maria Olivia B. Pascual, led the ASCEND Program’s launch on 24 January 2025 at Lal-lo Municipal Gymnasium.

The event gathered around 1,000 agriculture stakeholders from Cagayan and key representatives from other government and private partners, including the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), AGREA Agricultural Communities International Foundation, Inc. (AGREA), and LANDBANK Countryside Development Foundation Inc. (LCDFI).

“With LANDBANK ASCEND, we aim to elevate the livelihoods of local agricultural producers, empowering them to maximize their full potential and actively contribute to national economic growth. This complements our continued efforts to provide accessible financial assistance and other meaningful support interventions across the agriculture value chain,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Ortiz.

The LANDBANK ASCEND Program delivers holistic support through six integrated components. The Training and Upskilling component provides technical training to strengthen individual and organizational capabilities, while the Digital Financial Literacy component equips beneficiaries with essential skills for more effective financial management.

The Program also employs Stakeholder Mapping to classify beneficiaries based on their capacity levels and financing access. Insights from this process will be utilized in Module Development to create customized training materials. The modes of training delivery include classroom sessions, virtual platforms, hands-on activities, demonstrations, coaching, and mentorships.

To ensure sustainable outcomes, the Program incorporates a Monitoring and Evaluation component to assess the effectiveness of training modules and track the progress of beneficiaries. Additionally, the Market Linkage component connects beneficiaries to market opportunities through business clustering and other schemes.

LANDBANK ASCEND serves as the capacity-building component of the LANDBANK AGRISENSO Plus Program, which features expanded eligibility, lower interest rates, and simplified loan process to provide broader access to credit and other support interventions for all players in the agriculture value chain.

Eligible beneficiaries of the LANDBANK ASCEND include ARBs, duly registered farmers, as well as members of their household and their micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and agrarian reform communities.

Interested participants may visit any LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch, or contact LANDBANK’s Customer Service Hotline at 028405700 for more details.