Completed FMR in Libmanan now improves the agri-economic and social condition of the project beneficiaries
LIBMANAN, CAMARINES SUR – No one can best describe the development in Brgy. San Isidro in Libmanan other than the ninety year old resident Adelo Baldonado, who had lived in this area ever since he was a little boy.
As he reminisce his experiences, he said that he never expected that a road will be constructed in their barangay. “Kadtong panahon tao lang saka damulag ang pwedeng makaagi igdi, hanggang tuhod kaya ang laboy, lalo na pag nag-uuran. Nagraralakaw lang ang tao pasiring sa centro o merkado para magtinda ning mga aning bagas o gulayon. Long time ago, only people and carabaos can pass through this area, because the mud can reach up to knee especially when it rains. Almost everyone here walks going to the market to sell their harvest.”
He sells bitter gourd, legumes, cassava, sweet potato and other kinds of vegetables to sustain the needs of his family and walks 11-kilometers for one and a half hours to sell his harvest in the Municipality of Sipocot. He also tend some carabaos to support his children’s education. Through this, three of his five children were able to finish High School. They are now working in Manila and raising their own family.
“Simple lang ang pamumuhay mi kadto igdi, mapagal pero kontento man kami. Pero mas maugma ngunyan na may tinampo na, mas mapapabilis ang samuyang hanap-buhay. Life here is simple, it’s tiring but we are contented. But we are very much grateful that this road is being constructed, this will surely help us sustain our livelihood”, Baldonado added.
Baldonado is only one of the 1,514 farmer household beneficiaries who will benefit from the Rehabilitation of San Isidro to Pag Oring Farm to Market Road (FMR) located in the second district of Camarines Sur. This FMR will provide access road that would link economic growth points and improve the agri-economic and social condition of the residents. This will also help the farmers reduce their travel time by 23% or 15 minutes and increase the savings in vehicle operating costs and reduce in transportation cost by 20%.
To date, the contractors are starting their repairs on the punch listed items observed during the Joint NPCO-PSO-RPCO site inspection which is regularly done to ensure that the contractors follow the quality standards of the World Bank.
PRDP is a six-year World Bank-assisted project being implemented by the Department of Agriculture. The Project’s I-BUILD component is committed both in establishing climate resilient rural infrastructure facilities and quality in the implementation of its construction work in project areas along the value chain. (Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)