LAOAG CITY – A P40-million farm-to-market road in Barangay Nagsurot, Burgos, Ilocos Norte is now serving its purpose of stimulating economic growth in rural farming communities.
Residents composed of 409 direct agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and 310 indirect ARBs stand to benefit from the 2,230-kilometer completed road, which is expected to significantly improve the transport of agricultural products, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance livelihood.
“We are so thankful to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for always helping us through the implementation of various local and national projects such as this farm-to-market road,” Jesus Rodel Pasion, head of the Small Water Irrigation System Association Inc., said in an interview on Tuesday.
One of the beneficiaries of DAR’s Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling project, which granted him full ownership of the lot he has been tilling for years, Pasion said he and the other ARBs have become more productive with the various assistance extended to them by the government.
The Department of Public Works and Highways–Ilocos Norte 1st District Engineering Office started construction of the FMR road on Feb. 8, 2023, with funds sourced from DAR’s Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities project.
During the ceremonial turnover of the completed road on Sept. 13, chief agrarian reform program officer Rommel Aquino said the project stands as a testament to the power of infrastructure in transforming land ownership into tangible progress.
Aquino said the improved market access allows farmers to sell perishable goods like vegetables and fruits at competitive prices, minimizing spoilage. Reduced transportation expenses also translate to higher net incomes, he said.
The road also enhances access to healthcare, education and financial services.
Meanwhile, DAR-Ilocos Norte recently distributed checks worth PHP2.35 million to the Buanga Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Tabug Farmers Association, and Natarnaw Irrigators Association Inc. under the Accessible Loans for Empowered, Resilient, and Transformed Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations initiative.
The loan program is jointly implemented by DAR, Department of Agriculture, Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Agricultural Credit Policy Council.
The program aims to provide accessible and affordable credit to ARBOs, enabling them to enhance their agricultural productivity and income-generating activities.
The program is expected to benefit a total of 121 ARBs.
"These initiatives underscore the DAR's unwavering commitment to empowering our agrarian reform beneficiaries and improving the quality of life in rural communities," provincial agrarian reform program officer Jessamine Jimenez said in a media interview.
