QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) remains committed to  the current administration’s whole-of-government approach by staying true to their pledge of infrastructure support in cooperation with other national government agencies to reach food security for our country.

 During the Post SONA Discussion of the food security cluster on Tuesday, July 25, at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City, the DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan laid out efforts they have taken in the last year to address food security.

 Secretary Bonoan reported the milestones achievements of the Department in supporting the efforts of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to enhance the country’s food systems with special focus on raising productivity, accessibility, and availability to ease hunger among the Filipino people.

According to Secretary Bonoan, the DPWH has answered the President’s directive during his early months in the presidency to ensure better access to and from agricultural areas by providing farm-to-market and farm-to-mill roads all throughout the country.

 From 2022 to 2023, DPWH has received a total of P22.32 billion of funds for the construction of about 1,127 kilometers  of roads prioritized and identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

 According to Bonoan, the DPWH has already built 216 kilometers of farm-to-market roads and 8 kilometers of farm-to-mill roads between July 2022 to May 2023, and it plans to build more with the help of the National Farm-to-Market Road Network Plan for 2023-2028, which was just launched in June 2023 by the DA in collaboration with DPWH and other partner agencies, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

 The DPWH partnered with other relevant agencies to fulfill its role as the main provider of infrastructure that can alleviate problems related to food security.

 Earlier this year, DPWH signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to reformulate the old Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) Program to ROLL IT 2.0 - Logistics Efficiency and Transport Seamlessness to Enhance Agribusiness Trade (LETS EAT), an update that is consistent with the President’s 8-Point Socio-Economic Agenda, which includes “Ensuring Food Security” and “Reduction of Transport and Logistics Costs”.

 P5.45 billion was allocated in 2023 for the improvement of about 144 kilometers of roads supporting food industries, while P6.99 billion is included in the proposed 2024 DPWH Budget (based on the National Expenditure Program) for the upgrading and improvement of about 179 kilometers of access roads leading to agribusiness and food industries.

 In May 2023, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was approved by the DPWH and National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for the establishment of the Kalsada Tungo sa Patubigan (Katubigan) Program.

 The Katubigan Program aims to implement Small Water Impounding Projects (SWIP), Small River Improvement Projects (SRIP), and service road infrastructure projects. P490 million was allotted in the 2023 DPWH Budget for the construction and improvement of access roads leading to irrigation areas identified by the NIA. Moreover, P3 billion is included in the proposed 2024 DPWH Budget (based on NEP) for the implementation of 146 projects under the Katubigan Program.

 The DPWH has undertaken initiatives to deliver clean and safe water to Filipinos through the construction of Water Supply Systems (Levels II and III) with P12.39 billion earmarked in 2023 DPWH Budget.

 Bonoan added that DPWH, through its Rain Water Collector System (RWCS) Program, is continuing the augmentation of water supply in different localities by using collected rainwater for domestic water uses except for drinking.

 In the period of July 2022 to May 2023, a total of 6,002 RWCs have been completed with recipients such as schools, markets, and other public buildings overseeing its operation and maintenance. (pia-ncr)