DAR’s Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO) gets a big boost and new ratification from Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III by having a world-class office right in the main lobby of the Department of Agrarian Reform. The FASPO office is dedicated to the first DAR Minister, Conrado F. Estrella, Jr., and comes with an adjacent Minister’s Conference Room.

Secretary Estrella, who graced the occasion, commended DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, represented by Usec Roberto F. Bernardo, for giving one of the oldest government buildings around the QC Elliptical Circle an outstanding refurbishment.

Through the efforts of Undersecretary Jesry Palmares, the upscale but relaxed offices were built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with the use of their mandate to help rebuild old government buildings and offices, especially those of frontline agencies like DAR.

With all humility, Usec Palmares welcomed the upgrade of its offices, knowing fully well that the expectations from FASPO were to augment its efforts at reaching out to foreign governments and private donors to fund the sustainability of the support services to millions of farmer beneficiaries, or ARBs (Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries).

Usec Palmares expressed his delight in having a respectable office to receive both foreign visitors and our local partners, who are responding to the clarion call by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to put the interest of the farmers on the front burner of government efforts.

With the Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) mandated by the DAR coming to its final phase via the World-Bank Assisted Project SPLIT or the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling, FASPO will be at the forefront of making a difference as a relevant sector of the department.

OneFASPO stands for Usec Palmares’ idea of bringing all support-related offices together as a one-fold organization.