ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (PIA) – The newly constructed farm-to-market road in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, provides farmers with an opportunity to increase their earnings as businessmen offer competitive buying prices for their products.

Mr. Marvin Adlaon, a copra buyer, acknowledges that the long route with bad road conditions creates an unfavorable business climate. He passes on his hauling expenses to the farmers, adding a burden to their loss of income.

However, this situation changed significantly after the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) concreted the 7.95-kilometer farm-to-market road with a 28.60-meter bridge, leading to the 11 barangays populated by more than half of Mabuhay’s residents.

This infrastructure project saves the farmers from hauling and transportation expenses by at least 50 percent and provides them opportunities to earn more due to its accessibility and proximity to the market.

Adlaon states that the new road helped him provide good buying prices for copra, benefiting both him and the farmers of Mabuhay.

“Sa wala pay tulay, 3 times ang kalayo gikan sa Mabuhay padulong sa 11 barangays nga sakop niya kay mutuyok pa sa Subanipa. Kami nga mamalit og kopras dili gyud namo maadto ang kopras labi na'g ting-ulan. Kung kuhaon man namo ang kopras, magpatong mi og 1.50 per kilo para maka-recover mi sa mga expenses,” he said.

(Translation: Before the bridge was constructed, the distance was tripled from Mabuhay town to its 11 barangays, passing through Subanipa [now Olutanga]. Copra buyers like us seldom went there, especially on rainy days. If we had to obtain copra from there, we had to charge 1.50 per kilo from the farmer to recover our expenses.)

The Philippine Rural Development Project is a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting local development, improving farm productivity, and enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities in the Philippines. The project involves various components, such as infrastructure development, enterprise development, and community-driven development.

The construction and upgrading of the 7.95-kilometer Punawan-Sitio Pagaypayan-Sioton farm-to-market road, including a 28.60-meter concrete bridge in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, has a total length of 7.95 kilometers and a total cost of P139,413,923.25, benefiting 561 households. (KSA/RVC/EDT/CCP/PIA9)