The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) finished the PhP 30-million worth of Farm to Market (FMR) road project in Bauko, Mountain Province as part of their Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management (INREMP) project. This project aims to provide safe and fast transportation of goods from the said municipality to the nearest market.
The farm to market road provides access to employment opportunities and basic social services such as schools and health care centers. FMRs also serves as a foundation to agriculture which they can maximize their production and income.
The construction of the road started on January 7, 2019 and ended on November 12, 2019. The road has a total length of 6 kilometers and is surrounded by the 67 hectare agricultural land. Through this project, transporting the main commodity of the said municipality such as milk, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, and dragon fruit would be easier and accessible.
In a study conducted by the Asia Development Bank (ADB), the use of the road has improved the livelihood of individuals, made greater production and diversification of agriculture, allows easier access to land and the availability of extension services, and able to increase the support and has intensified agricultural activity.
According to Vember Dapuyen, Rural Infrastructure Engineer of the DENR-Bontoc, the project opens an opportunity for economic development. In addition, it will surely lure a lot of families to migrate near the road as well as it can open a lot of different businesses.
“It saves a lot of time,” said Evelyn Guilan, a farmer from Bauko, Mountain Province. She acknowledged the usefulness of the recent constructed road. It enabled them to have an easy exportation of their products going to market. She added that the transportation of their goods has become a lot easier than before. They can finally deliver their products at the nearest public market.
On the other hand, Ato-Engan-Lamangan-Atowanan-Mobo Farm to market road in Patay, Sagada, Mountain Province is under construction. Wherein an amount of PhP32 million pesos’ worth is allocated for the said project. The project is expected to be finished by the month of March this year. The DENR making is their way to finish the remaining projects of INREMP before the expiration of the contract.
INREMP is one of the main projects of DENR to improve livelihood in the community to be undertaken by the Municipal Local Government Units (MLGU). The main purpose is to provide rural access roads, communal irrigations systems, community water facilities, and provincial trading and processing center supporting farming communities.
By Paulo Basilio
