The Agriculture Department said it started the P76.3-million concreting of Junction National Highway-Mamawan-Diculum-Milidan farm-to-market road in Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte.
The project is funded under the agency’s Philippine Rural Development Program.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said PRDP was a platform for an inclusive, value-chain oriented and climate resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.
“Reforms in the agricultural sector have been laid down under the Aquino administration to secure and sustain agriculture and fisheries for future generations. All the next leadership must do is continue with what we started” Alcala said.
The FMR will serve 9,702 project beneficiaries, of which majority are indigenous people belonging to Subanen and Lalibugan tribes, in an area covering more than 16,000 hectares.
DA said the 6.5-km road concreting, which includes construction of spillways, is expected to be completed in 400 calendar days.
The municipality Tampilisan may be the next to benefit from PRDP, with the rehabilitation and concreting of Galingon-Balacbaan-Cabong-Tilubong FMR covering 14.38 kilometers with estimated project cost of P188 Million.
The Agriculture Department started in October a farm-to-market road in Asuncion, Davao del Norte that will link around 100 hectares of cacao farm.
The P78.8-million road is part of PRDP, which covers the rehabilitation and concreting of 7.8 kilometers access road in the villages of New Visayas and Binancian.
PRDP is a special project of the Department of Agriculture and jointly funded by the World Bank, the national and local government units.
PRDP national deputy project director Arnel De Mesa said the road rehabilitation was the second PRDP-funded project in Davao del Norte.
The project will support a direct road influence area of 400 hectares planted with cacao, corn, banana, coconuts mango, durian and root crops.
With around 2,000 farmers to benefit the project, the road network connects the barangays of Kamansa, Sunlon, Buan and Binancian.