QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Ilocos Norte conducted a site inspection of Malituek Bridge which is part of the Nagsurot agrarian reform community (ARC) located in Barangay Buduan, Burgos Ilocos Norte which aims to provide ease of transport for the farmers’ products from their farms to the market.

DAR Ilocos Regional Director Primo Lara said the project is part of Secretary Bernie Cruz’s commitment to respond to the needs of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

“The construction of the 28.8-meter single-span double-lane bridge started on January 12, 2021, and will benefit about 400 residents, 195 ARB-households, and its neighboring villages here,” Lara said.

Lara said the Malituek Bridge bridge, with a total cost of PHP 7,331,423.17, is being implemented under the Tulay ng Pangulo Para sa Kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo (TPKP) in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the local government unit of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, now connects the neighboring barangays where member-ARBs reside.

He added that the bridge is intended to ease the transportation of the farmers’ products from their farms to the market so that they would be able to sell them at a fair price and increase their income.

“The projects that link the road network within the ARC barangays has led to the improvement of the economic welfare of more than a thousand agrarian reform beneficiaries in the farming communities,” he said.

ARBs expressed their excitement over the construction of the bridge to link the barangay to other neighboring villages and reduce travel time, cost, and effort.

The TPKP project involves the construction, installation, and establishment of “universal bridges” in priority ARCs which will serve as their road networks to main markets.

The  DAR, through Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office (FASPO), had so far constructed 177 bridge projects nationwide. And this project now has a total of 10,436 linear meters implemented under the TPKP Project. (DAR)