DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, June 21 (PIA) -- The municipal government of Manjuyod has prioritized the concreting of roads leading to remote villages to enhance the delivery of social services to the residents. 

Manjuyod Mayor Felix Sy said many residents in hinterland communities benefitted from this initiative of the municipal government, such as farmers who can now transport their fresh produce to the local market and students who need to travel to their schools. 

Sy said the municipal government also provides free transport services to the farmers from their homes to the local market in Brgy. Poblacion. 

The farmers are earning better now due to these programs, said Sy. 

“Mataas na ang presyo ng gulay nila sa town proper kesa noon (na) ang naka-ginansya ng malaki ang middle men kaya ginawa ko ang concreting of roads (Farmers can now demand for a better price for their produce unlike before where the middleman benefits the most. That’s the reason why I pushed for road concreting),” Sy said. 

Some of the farm products grown in the hinterland areas of the town include pechay, patola, sayote, squash, chilis, cabbages, tomatoes, and high-value crops like bananas and mangoes. 

Students studying in the schools in the Poblacion area who had to travel back to their villages in the uplands every weekend also availed of the free transport services. 

“Kapag sinusundo ang farmers every Friday afternoon sumasakay din ang estudyante namin ng high-school na nag-aaral dito sa town proper. Wala sila pamasahe. Sunday afternoon kinukuha ang mga estudyante so nababawasan ang gastos nila sa pag-aaral (By the time the farmers are brought back to their villages every Friday, some high school students studying in the town proper ride along too. They are fetched again every Sunday afternoon. This way, they can save on their school expenses),” the mayor said. 

He also cited how the paved roads contributed to the town’s development such as delivery of health services and responding to health emergency situations. 

Sy added that the municipal government can extend other development interventions on agriculture, tourism, and youth development to far-flung areas once there are paved roads leading to these communities. (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)