LEGAZPI CITY - Farmers who belong to 10 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) in Albay are set to benefit from the Portable Solar (Portasol) project of the Department of Agrarian and Reform (DAR) provincial office and Department of Science and Technology-Bicol (DOST-5). In a social media post on Wednesday, DAR-Albay said the PHP630,000-project, "Upgrading the Drying Process of Palay through Portasol Technology", will help improve the quality of dried palay. The 10 ARBOs-beneficiaries are Quipia Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative, Barangay Villapaz Unified Farmers Association, Association of Men and Women of Gabawan, SARIGAN (Sa Agrarian Reform Iriba Gabos sa Kauswagan), GHARCA (Guinobatan Highland ARC Association), Quibongbongan Farmers Association, PANALA Farmers Association Inc., Ubaliw San Ramon Farmer's Association, HATAFA (Hacienda Tabaco Agrarian Farmers Association) and Bantayan Quinastillojan Farmers Association. "The 10 beneficiaries will each receive two units of Portasol Dryer Multi-Purpose Drying Tray in order to help them improve the quality of dried palay, for processing and storage as well as to have a more hygienic drying process," the post read. Aside from the Portasol Dryer, DOST also committed to giving ARBOs training on the proper handling and operation of the equipment, technical assistance, and regular monitoring and evaluation of the project as part of its goal of enhancing farmers' productivity and product quality. Under the DOST's Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST), the Portasol project is designed to specifically support endeavors that cater to opportunities for grassroots developments. "Science will continuously work towards the success of our ARBOs by adopting the whole-of-the-nation approach in order to have a greater impact," DOST Undersecretary Sancho A. Maborrang said in a statement. "We hope to have a long-lasting partnership and sustained engagement with our farmers," he added. Shariza Shaika M. Requiero, president of the Quipia Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative of Jovellartown, said: "We are blessed to have been chosen by DOST as the recipient of this technology which we consider as a manifestation of the government's unwavering support for the cause and welfare of the farmers." "The farmers were able to sustain despite the pandemic because our strongest ally was the government who, without which, would have not made us modern-day heroes of this pandemic," she added. The Portasol is a stackable set of thermal drying trays which can accommodate 150 kilos of palay for drying. By using it, farmers will avoid continuous wasteful drying every harvest season compared to the traditional way, which is drying on pavement and serves as road hazard. (With a report from Gyldel Sarcia/PNA-OJT) }