As the President of the Mungia Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a community of farmers rooted in Dupax del Norte, I would like to express our appreciation for Mr. Ray Enano’s timely and grounded column, which reflects the realities farmers live with every day. His clear articulation of the value of Farm-to-Market Roads (FMRs) under the Department of Agriculture resonates deeply with us. We see how strategic infrastructure lowers transport costs, opens access to markets, and strengthens the food supply chain from the farm gate to consumers—outcomes that are felt immediately at the household level.
At the same time, we respectfully echo the call that government attention must extend beyond Mindanao and include productive provinces such as Nueva Vizcaya. Our province is home to the renowned Katsuma oranges and a diverse range of lowland and highland crops that help feed Metro Manila and Northern Luzon.
We humbly seek the consideration of Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to include Dupax del Norte in future FMR programs, particularly in Barangay Mungia, where a major greening initiative of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the DA is already taking root.
This 70-hectare Mungia Agro-Forestry Project, managed by our cooperative, integrates fruit-tree plantations, native tree regeneration, and smallholder intercrops to restore the land, protect watersheds, and strengthen local food security.
With over 600 farmer-members, our produce flows directly to the Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Trading Post—the DA’s largest trading hub in Northeastern Luzon—serving markets in Baguio, Benguet, and Metro Manila.
As Mr. Enano’s column rightly underscores, equitable and well-placed infrastructure does more than move goods; it amplifies the returns of environmental and agricultural programs, sustains rural livelihoods, and reinforces our shared responsibility to safeguard the nation’s food security.
Roger Molina
President
Mungia Multi-Purpose Cooperative
Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya
