More Than 2,000-KM of Farm-to-Market Roads Built in 3 Years

A total of 2,167-kilometers of farm-to-market roads (FMR) has been completed from 2016 up to 2018.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar announced that a total of PHP23.34-billion worth of projects identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been completed.

He also said that transfer of goods and services has significantly improved in hard to reach areas in the country with the construction and improvement of roads all around the country.

"From 2016-2018, a total of 2,964 FMR were completed through the convergence program of DPWH and DA, while 1,110 are still ongoing. This is part of our government's continued effort to support the agricultural sector," Villar said.

In Zamboanga del Norte, six FMRs were completed within two months in 2018, including the 700-meter Barangay Panabang FMR in the municipality of Liloy, worth PHP7 million; and the 500-meter Barangay Tan-Awan FMR in the municipality of Baliguian, amounting PHP5 million.

Meanwhile, community members of Katipunan Village in the municipality of Silago, Southern Leyte are now benefitting from the concreting of the 4-kilometer Catmon FMR in 2017, with a total cost of PHP30-million.

"We assure you that we are fast-tracking the completion of the remaining projects to provide not just access to basic social services but inclusive growth in the rural areas," Villar added.