Section 1Sec./Art. 1

Section 35 of Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988", is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Section 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, particularly in carrying out the provisions of the following services to farmer beneficiaries and affected landowners:

"1) Irrigation facilities, especially second crop or dry season irrigation facilities;

"2) 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, seeds and seedling banks, post harvest facilities, and other facilities for a sound agricultural development plan. For the purpose of providing the aforecited infrastructure and facilities, the DAR is authorized to enter into contracts with interested private parties on long term basis or through joint-venture agreements or build-operate-transfer scheme:

"3) Government subsidies for the use of irrigation facilities;

"4) Price support and guarantee for all agricultural produce;

"5) Extending to small landowners, farmers and farmers' organizations the necessary credit, like concessional and collateral-free loans, for agro-industrialization based on social collaterals like the guarantees of farmers' organizations;

"6) Promoting, developing and extending financial assistance to small and medium-scale industries in agrarian reform areas;

"7) Assigning sufficient numbers of agricultural extension workers to fanners' organizations;

"8) Undertake research, development and dissemination of information on agrarian reform, plants and crops best suited for cultivation and marketing, and low-cost and ecologically sound farm inputs and technologies to minimize reliance on expensive and imported agricultural inputs;

"9) Development of cooperative management skills through intensive training;

"10) Assistance in the identification of ready markets for agricultural produce and training in the other various aspects of marketing;

"11) Conduct an effective information dissemination system through the Department of Agriculture to promote marketing and minimize spoilage of agricultural produce and products;

"12) Create a credit guarantee fund for agricultural landowners that will enhance the collateral value of agricultural lands that are affected or will be affected by coverage under the agrarian reform program; and

"13) 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.1aшphi1