Rehabilitated Farm-to-market road boosts income of ARBs

Buguey, Cagayan – Officials from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) led by Atty. Marjorie P. Ayson, Regional Director (DAR Region 02) has turned over in favor of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Buguey, led by OIC-Mayor Roderick Antiporda, among others, and the barangay officials of Tabbac, Buguey, Cagayan,  the responsibility for the utilization and maintenance of the rehabilitated and improved farm-to-market road during a turn-over ceremony held on March 19, 2013 at barangay Tabbac in Buguey, Cagayan province. Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 02 also attended the turn-over ceremony. 

The project involved the rehabilitation and improvement of the Tabbac Proper – Junction National Road (JNR) – Sitio San Francisco Road at Sta. Isabel Agrarian Reform Community (Sta. Isabel ARC), Buguey, Cagayan. The farm-to-market road has a length of 4.078 kilometers at a project cost of P7,297,746.21 and funded by the Department of Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project III (DAR-ARISP3).

According to the barangays officials, the farm-to-market road project has significantly improved the quality of life of farmers in the area as they can now transport or load on their kuliglig (hand tractor with trailer) around 20 cavans of palay instead of the usual 7 cavans only before the FMR project was implemented. They can now also have more frequent trips to the market to sell their produce, such as vegetables and watermelon, among others. But the most significant improvement in the lives of ARBs is the fact that the number of traders have increased because of the new access to the farms/products in the community resulting to higher selling prices of farm produce by the farmers as they are now able to choose which trader offers the higher buying price. Additionally, the cost of hauling has been reduced by at least 30%, increasing the savings in favor of the ARBs. The completed FMR now also serves as an alternative route from the town proper to the Lallo International Airport in nearby town of Lallo, Cagayan.

The rehabilitation and improvement of the Tabbac Proper – Junction National Road (JNR) – Sitio San Francisco Road at Sta. Isabel Agrarian Reform Community (Sta. Isabel ARC), Buguey, Cagayan seeks to boost the productivity and income of agrarian reform beneficiaries and the members of their household who have been burdened with excessive fare and hauling costs of farm produce due to poor road condition. /cds