In a joint commitment to move agrarian communities beyond land ownership toward sustainable economic independence, Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF)—through the NCF Extension School—sealed a strategic tripartite partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform Camarines Sur I (DAR Cam Sur I) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Camarines Sur Provincial Office during a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing on September 3, 2026, at the NCF Extension School Building in Concepcion Grande, Naga City.
Signing on behalf of their respective institutions were Mr. Mario C. Villanueva, NCF President; Mr. Rene B. Bacho, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) I of DAR Camarines Sur I—officially representing Mr. Ricardo C. Garcia, PARPO II; and Mr. June B. Oliveros, Acting Provincial Director of TESDA Camarines Sur.
The alliance formally establishes a cross-sector framework designed to deliver technical education, skills development, livelihood and entrepreneurship training, and specialized capacity-building programs to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) throughout the province.
Underscoring NCF’s proactive leadership in community extension and technological transformation, President Villanueva emphasized the institution’s role in equipping local farmers with future-proofed skills.
“With the advent of AI and emerging technologies such as robotics, innovation is changing the way we learn and work,“ President Villanueva stated, highlighting NCF’s commitment “to be part of that transformation by bringing relevant and future-ready skills closer to the communities we serve.”
Emphasizing the value of the partnership, Mr. Bacho stressed that skills development is an essential “complement” to the agency’s land distribution initiatives.
Mr. Bacho underscored that “the true measure of agrarian reform is not the number of hectares and titles we distribute; but the number of lives we (DAR) transform,“ Mr. Bacho emphasized.
Echoing this commitment, Mr. Oliveros affirmed TESDA’s operational backing for technical evaluation and official credentialing.
“We are fully committed to providing the skills development support our farmers need, including access to competency assessment and certification,“ Mr. Oliveros noted.
“Through this partnership, we hope to help more beneficiaries turn their skills into opportunities for livelihood and economic growth,” Mr. Oliveros added.
Under the stipulations of the MOA, DAR Cam Sur I will “identify and endorse” qualified beneficiaries, coordinate with partner local government units, and oversee program monitoring, while NCF and TESDA will drive the delivery of curriculum, technical training, and assessment modules.
Joining representatives from DAR and TESDA Cam Sur in supporting the
undertaking were NCF executive leaders Dr. Roger P. Villanueva, Chief Finance Officer and Board Treasurer, and Mr. Melvin S. Del Puerto, NCF Extension School Administrator and Board Member.
Through this multi-sectoral synergy, NCF solidifies its position as a pillar of community extension and holistic empowerment in the Bicol peninsula—bridging academic excellence, modern technology, and countryside development to elevate the lives of agrarian communities.