SAN MIGUEL ISLAND TABACO, CITY – The entire community of Barangay Hacienda of this island was in a festive mode with the makeshift covered court festooned with multi-colored flaglets and the barangay officials and residents in jovial mood as they gather for the ground breaking ceremonies to signal the start of the civil works for the rehabilitation/improvement of the existing single lane road in the three adjoining barangays Hacienda, Angas and Vista. The proposal of the City government of Tabaco for this sub-project under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture has finally been issued a No Objection Letter on November 25, 2018 by the World Bank, the major funding agency . The Farm-to-Market Road with 8.3 kilometers length and 10 meters width including the road shoulders is worth P192.74 million. Of this, 80% would come from the WB; 10% from the Philippine Government thru the DA and 10% from the City government of Tabaco.
Tabaco City Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman -Luistro accompanied by the vice-mayor, city councillors and department heads led the guests to the island which is about 30- minute ride by motorized boat. She was joined by PRDP South Luzon Deputy Director Shandy M. Hubilla, DA Bicol OIC Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla, PRDP Bicol Deputy Project Director, Adelina M. Losa other DA staff and personnel and the managing officer of the Legazpi Premium Development Corporation /3RB Construction and Supply, the winning contractor.
Mayor Lagman thanked the DA and the PRDP officials for not giving up on them even after some snags and setbacks in the packaging of their proposal which took almost two years to be refined and approved. She also thanked the over 60 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) for yielding their rights to their land and properties to give way to the project.
“Bako lang tinampo ang mahahaman digdi. Pag napakarhay na ang tinampo pwede na kita maglaag ki lying facility o kaya Rural Health Center asin iba pang facilidad. (It is not only a road that we will be constructing here. Once the road is rehabilitated we can contruct a lying-in facility or even a Rural Health Center and other facilities).
The mayor bared that the island with over 15,000 population is the second biggest producer of sweet potato in the Albay province with 260 hectares planted to this crop in the island. She said that the project will be a big boost to the sweet potato producers.
For his part, newly assumed DA-Bicol OIC Regional Executive Director, Rodel Tornilla acknowledge the vital role of the City Government proponent team who prepared the proposal and ciuted the crucial role of the City Council which approved the budget allocation as the LGUs counterpart to the project. He stressed the importance of a road network. “Kapag may tinampo and lugar, diyan nagpupuon ang trabaho, negosyo asin asenso.” (The construction of roads opens up job opportunities , business and progress)
Meanwhile, PRDP Deputy Director Hubilla recalled the tedious process that the project proposal went through before it was finally approved. He likened it to the long courtship and engagement that a couple has to go through prior to marriage. He congratulated Mayor Luistro and her team for their perseverance and tenacity despite the many difficulties, setbacks and the tedious process they have to go through .
Hubilla reminded the LGU and the project beneficiaries and stakeholders that the project does not end with the completion of the FMR but should lead to more opportunities for enterprise development.
He also urged the community to be vigilant in monitoring the project implementation and ensuring that the standards and quality have been strictly complied with. He cited the Citizens Monitoring Tool which they can use for this purpose. .
Vice Mayor San Pablo asked the DA to help them in their food production program . He pointed out that the continuous planting of sweet potato in the island over the past years has resulted to a decline in production and smaller-sized potatoes ,thus the need for soil analysis.
One of the would-be beneficiaries of the project is Adelina Balingbing of barangay Hacienda who have high hopes on the project. “Dakulaon po ang maitatabang samo kaining pagpakarhay kan tinampo. Segurado ako mas dakul ang oportunidad na maitatao kaini sa bilog na isla. Makakatabang ini para mas mapadali an samong pagdara kan mga produkto mi sa mainland Tabaco. Mas dakul kikitaon mi pagtinda. Sa ngunyan ang presyo kan sarong lata ning kamote nagkakantidad ning P200. Pano pa daw kung mas dakula na ang agihan, mas dakulang sasakyan ang puwede magtransport kan samuyang produkto, mas dakul na kaming maiuuli sa samong pamilya. (This rehabilitation of our road will be a great help. I”m sure this will bring about bigger opportunities for the entire island. This will facilitate the faster transport of our product to mainland Tabaco. We will be earning more. At present the price of a canful of sweet potato costs P200. How much more if our roads are wider – bigger vehicles will be transporting our products. We will have a bigger income for our family).
Aside from the groundbreaking a ceremonial reading and awarding of the Notice of Award to the winning contractor and acceptance of the award was made. (Emily B. Bordado DA-RPCO V /photos By Raymond Adversario- DA-RAFIS 5)
Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman-Luistro of Tabaco City, thanked the residents of San Miguel Island for supporting the construction of 8.3 km Rehabilitation/Improvement of Hacienda to Rawis Farm to Market Road project of the Philippine Rural Development Project.
OIC-Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla said that the FMR will open new opportunities, generate job and open up business establishments.
The project beneficiaries of the Hacienda-Rawis Farm to Market Road were in festive mood during the ground breaking ceremony.
The existing one lane road (2.5 meters) of Barangay Hacienda leading to other Barangays in San Miguel Island.
Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman-Luistro (fifth from left), OIC-Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tonilla (3rd from left), RPCO 5 Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa (in Pink blouse) and South Luzon PSO Deputy Project Director Shandy M. Hubilla (in grey polo shirt) together with engineers from the LGU and the Legazpi Premium Development Corporation/3RB Construction Supply inaugurates the ground breaking of the Hacienda to Rawis Farm to Market Road in San Miguel Island, Tabaco City.