Php 232-M World Bank-funded farm-to-market road kicks off in S. Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, March 25 (PNA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has kicked off its biggest World Bank-funded farm-to-market road rehabilitation project, spanning 11 rural villages in Liloan, Southern Leyte.

The project, which will be completed late next year, is 19.4-kilometer long, connecting San Roque and Bahay villages in Liloan town.

Key officials from the DA-Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and key local government officials led the groundbreaking of the project late Friday afternoon.

Aside from road upgrading, the project will also build three bridges, according to DA Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director U-Nichols Manalo.

“This is the biggest farm-to-market road (FMR) project in terms of allocation in the region. It will benefit 12,000 people or nearly half of the town’s voting population,” Manalo said in a mobile phone interview on Saturday.

The project is part of the Php 2.31 billion worth of 36 approved and pipelined infrastructure subprojects in five provinces of the region.

PRDP is a six-year program (2014-2021) designed to establish the government platform for a modern, climate-smart and market-oriented agri-fishery sector.

Mainly funded by World Bank, it seeks to improve agricultural competitiveness and expand market access for any identified priority commodities under the project.

It has a total cost of PHP27.48 billion in four components – local and national level planning, infrastructure development, enterprise development and support.

Infrastructure development gets a big chunk of the budget at Php 18.5.53 billion, which accounts 67.4 percent of the total outlay nationwide.

The PRDP aims to attain at least five percent increase per year in real household annual incomes of farmer and fisherfolk beneficiaries; 30 percent increase in incomes for targeted beneficiaries involved in enterprise development; seven percent increase in value of annual marketed output; and 20 percent increase in the number of farmers and fisherfolk with improved access to DA services.

Proposed for implementation in the region under the PRDP infrastructure component are the Calsadahay-Banayon-Bolirao-Maliwaliw FMR in Tanauan and Dagami Leyte; Kailingan to Salhag FMR in Rosario, Northern Samar; and Gonzaga-Lungib-Luisita-Buenasuerte-Maxvilla-San Roman-Pasabuena-San Miguel FMR in Victoria, Northern Samar.

In Samar province, these projects are Dau-San Eduardo FMR in Sta. Rita town, Lipata-Casandig FMR in Paranas, Serum-Guirang FMR in Basey, Inobongan-Poblacion FMR in San Sebastian, Inuntan-Mabini FMR in Basey, Villarosa-San Andres FMR in Villareal, and New Minarog-Pusongan FMR in Motiong.

In Southern Leyte, listed projects are Concepcion-Consolacion FMR in Sogod town, Kahupian-San Francisco-Mabuhay-Pancho Villa FMR in Sogod, Mabikay-San Pedro FMR in Sogod, and San Roque-Bahay FMR in Liloan.

These 14 rural road projects have a combined length of 100.90 kilometers designed to spur economic growth in farming communities of the region.

The farm department pushed for local roads upgrading to increase farm production, reduce transportation costs, minimize post-harvest losses and expand market opportunities. (PNA)
SARWELL Q. MENIANO