Kalibo, Aklan – A total of 1,924 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and 19,123 non-ARBs from the interior areas in this municipality will soon experience the ease of transporting their products to the market as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government of Aklan launched the concreting five (5) farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in the area with a total cost of P50 million.
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, with Aklan 2nd district representative Teodorico Haresco, Jr., Jesry T. Palmares, Undersecretary for Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO), and Atty. Sheila Enciso, DAR Western Visayas regional director, led the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.
Eliserio S. Aguelo, an ARB from Barangay Naile said the FMRs would pave the way for the farmers to immediately transport their products to the market for a higher and more reasonable price.
“Farmers and residents will no longer have to travel on muddy and slick roads just to go to the town proper. Finally, our dream was realized. Thank you to the DAR,” Aguelo said.
Estrella said the construction of the FMR is in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to extend the necessary support services to the farming sector to resuscitate the country’s agriculture industry by improving the flow of food supply.
“This project will change the lives of the ARBs, it will help them gain better prices for their products to improve their income and livelihood,” he said.
Enciso said through the FMRs, ARBs would have the advantage of not only experiencing reduced transportation costs and travel time, but they will also be experiencing faster delivery of various support services from the government.
She disclosed that the FMRs include the Php 10 million concreting of Brgy. Naile, proper in Ibajay; the Php 20 million concreting of Tagaroroc FMR in Brgy. Tagaroroc, Nabas; the Php 5 million concreting of Sta. Cruz-Biga-a in Brgys. Sta. Cruz and Biga-a, Lezo; the Php 10 million concreting of Aliputos in Brgy. Aliputos, Numancia; and the Php 5 million concreting of Dangcalan in Brgy. Dangcalan, Malinao.
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