The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) spearheads the groundbreaking ceremony and Pre-Construction Conference of the P81 million Concreting of Bad-as Tres De Mayo-Amoslog Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) in Placer, Surigao del Norte.

The 4.8-kilometer FMR hopes to address farmers’ long-time problem on transporting their products to the market which hinders the potential in increasing productivity.

People have grown cold to the government for the years of waiting which almost seemed like a miracle.

“Farmers and residents have almost lost hope for the concreting project to be realized. They have come to the point of not believing any concreting survey that has been conducted by the local officials,” said Mayor Michael Jose Patiño.

Patiño said that he can always remember the times that farmers in the project site would come to his office and share to him the problem of transporting the commodities that they have toiled to produce.

“We have never given up of this dream and now that we’re about to see a concrete road,  Now that PRDP has given us this go signal, we are so thankful. We will surely keep it that even the future generations can still benefit and enjoy,” Patiño said.

The road will benefit the three connecting barangays with 708 farming households or 3,996 individuals. Coconut farmers are among the largest group that would benefit from the road.

Municipal Agriculturist Emerita Elajas also shared that the road is not passable both for small and large vehicles every time there is heavy rain since the soil in the area easily gets muddy. “We will no longer experience the hindrance of transporting our commodities because of the muddy road,” she said.

DA-PRDP’s road concreting project in the area is a priority of the municipality based on its municipal development plan. “Since this has been our priority, the LGU of Placer has allocated a budget for its counterpart of P8 million,” said Mayor Patiño.

The total budget of the FMR project is composed of 10% equity or counterpart from the municipal or provincial local government unit, 10% from the Philippine Government and 80% from the World Bank.

The groundbreaking activity and the pre-construction conference were participated by the local officials of Placer, officials of the three barangays including its residents and the DA-PRDP in the region. (Fretcher Magatao, RPCO-13)

DA-PRDP’s groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation and concreting of the 4.8km Bad-as Tres De Mayo-Amoslog Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) was led by the municipal officials of Placer headed by Mayor Michael Jose Patiño (man with a shovel) and the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Rural Infrastructure Engineers headed by Engr. Rene Morales (in white at the right side)