BETTER ROADS, BETTER LIVES

Roads connect remote communities to each other, bring people closer, create economic opportunities and enhance rural development.

The absence of such network often leaves an area desolate and underdeveloped.

For those who labor in the agriculture sector, roads translate to the efficient transport of farm produce from the farms to the markets---resulting to fair market price and profit.

In Lapulabao, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, farmers have faced the detriments of production shortfall and postharvest loss because of the absence of good roads.

Farmer Florentino Algones narrates how the transport of produce has become very challenging and difficult especially during rainy seasons.

“Maglisod mi ug paggawas sa among produkto labi na ug ting-ulan,” Algones narrated. (We could hardly transport our produce especially during the rainy season.)

“Katong lubak pana nga dalan hastang lisuda gyud namo. Dako kaayo mi mabayran sa pamasahe kay kailangan pakyaw ug pag-abot sa baligyaanan namo paliton lang pagyud ug barato among produkto,” he added. (Before, it is difficult to transport our produce as the bumpy roads affect the quality of our goods. We also need to contract a hauler who charged us with hefty price.)

To address the need for better road access, the local government unit proposed the rehabilitation the village’s farm-to-market road (FMR). Funded under the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) program, the Department of Agriculture in Region XI (DA-XI) expedited the implementation under theAccelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP).

According to Lapulabao Brgy. Captain Roger Monteza, the FMR rehabilitation has improved the community’s economy as it facilitated the transport and delivery of goods and farm inputs such as seeds and fertilizers

“These increased our agricultural production. As a result, the profits and livelihood of our farmers have greatly improved,” Monteza said.

The construction of the 480-meter FMR project in Barangay Lapulabao started on December 2014. The P4-million worth project was completed on July this year.

Hagonoy Municipal agriculturist Felix Bariquit confirmed that the farmers traversing the FMR project have eventually increased their profitability.

“During the implementation up to the road completion, DA has been very active in monitoring the project,” Bariquit said.

“We are very thankful to the agency and to the project as it has alleviated the poverty incidence of this municipality,” he added.

Aside from Hagonoy, Magsaysay was also identified as one of the poorest municipalities of Davao del Sur.

The DA thru funding from BUB allotted around P4.9M to the municipality for the concreting of the 600-meter Malano-Bob Barayong FMR. Various livelihood projects including expansion of existing rubber production worth P680,000 and cattle farming program amounting to almost P2.5 were also granted.

The government has considered rural infrastructure as a top priority in the past 6 years. As such, DA undertakes various infra projects such as construction, restoration and rehabilitation of irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities and rural roads to increase farmer income. These projects aim to increase production, reduce production cost, minimize postharvest losses, and expand market opportunities towards better living for both producers and consumers.

Hagonoy farmers testify that the rehabilitated FMRs have improved the transport of both goods and services –agricultural and non-agricultural–from one area to another. It also improved mobility of people giving them better employment opportunities within and outside the area. It improved access of farmers, fishers and residents in the area to basic services such as education and health, and it connects farms/coastal areas to main roads to promote Agro-tourism.

With better roads, the delivery of farm inputs & outputs have greatly improved, with a substantial decrease in postharvest losses.

Now, with a more efficient market access, farmers are motivated to plant more, resulting to an increase in production and income in the rural areas.

As of August 2015, the DA-Farm to Market Road Development Program (DA-FMRDP) has constructed and rehabilitated 5,985 km rural roads which benefitting almost 1.3M farmers nationwide.

Driven by the mission to sustain development in the countryside, produce sufficient agricultural products and feed the nation, the DA targets to construct 13,999 km of FMRs until 2017. #  Source - (DA-AFID)/www.da.gov.ph