The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office XIII (RPCO 13) broke ground on the Bucac – Marcelina Farm-to-Market Road on July 13, 2023, at Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.

The groundbreaking ceremony signals the start of construction of the 4.7 kilometer-FMR, set to traverse Barangays Bucac, Marcelina, and San Isidro in Bayugan City. Funded by the World Bank, the European Union (EU), the Government of the Philippines, and the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur, the P59 million FMR will benefit 2,016 households, 1,436 of which are farmers.

Construction of the FMR also signals increased access to agricultural production in the province, particularly to the rubber industry in Caraga. Once completed, the FMR will connect to a crumb rubber processing facility in Prosperidad owned by the Farmers Self-Reliant Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FASRMCO). This facility was also funded by the DA and the World Bank under the Mindanao Rural Development Program Adaptable Program Loan 2 – Community Fund for Agricultural Development (MRDP APL2 – CFAD).

DA Caraga Regional Executive Director Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate Jr. echoes this vision, emphasizing the wider markets that will open up for farmers once they have greater access to the community. He also emphasizes the crucial role community members play in project implementation, specifically in monitoring and maintaining the subproject.

Present at the ceremony were Agusan del Sur Governor Santiago B. Cane, Jr., Agusan del Sur 1^st district representative Hon. Alfelito M. Bascug, Bayugan City Mayor Kirk A. Asis, officials from the Barangay, I-BUILD Component Head Rene Q. Morales, representatives from the KHAN KON CHI Construction & Development Corporation, and DA-PRDP Caraga staff.

A community pre-construction conference that aims to clarify DA-PRDP processes and community roles in project implementation was held immediately after the groundbreaking ceremony.

The FMR, funded under the Second Additional Financing and European Co-Financing Grant (AF2-EU), is targeted to finish construction by March 19, 2024. (Nichole L. Talatala | DA-PRDP-InfoACE13)