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.
ABOUT LANDBANK
LANDBANK is the largest development financial institution in the Philippines promoting
financial inclusion, digital transformation, and sustainable national development. Present
in all 82 provinces in the country, the Bank is committed to provide accessible and
responsive financial solutions to empower Filipinos from countryside to countrywide.
LANDBANK operates a total of 10 branches and branch-lite units and a lending center in
Cagayan, complemented by 57 automated teller machines (ATMs), seven cash deposit
machines (CDMs), 27 LANDBANKasama partners, and additional 16 ATMs in partner 7-11
convenience stores.
