Atok, Benguet – With the symbolic turning of the first sod and lowering of capsule,  the construction works for the  Improvement along Jose Mencio Farm-to-Market Road (FMR)  formally kicked off.

Led by Benguet Governor Cresencio Pacalso, Provincial Board Members and chief local officials of the municipality of Atok together with PRDP RPCO Project Director Lorenzo Caranguian,  a ground breaking ceremony was recently held at Barangay Caliking here.

Dr. Lorenzo Caranguian refered to this road as the first project to be implemented under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA PRDP) for the Province of Benguet. Caranguian added that this is one of the subprojects that is meant to improve the lives of the target beneficiaries, particularly the coffee farmers of Atok, Benguet.

The municipality of Atok emerged as the most suitable area for coffee production in the province of Benguet according to the expanded Vulnerabiluity and Suitability Analysis  for coffee in the said province. Moreover, Atok also surfaced as the top producer of arabica coffee in the province, thus the subproject.

The construction of the 15.65 km FMR, with a contracted amount of  P183,947,194.56, shall influence barangays Abiang, Caliking, Naguey, Pasdong, Poblacion and Topdac in the municipality of Atok, benefitting more or less 19,329 beneficiaries in 4,063 households.

The improvement of the said road starts at the junction connecting barangays Caliking and Topdac and ends at the junction connecting Poblacion and Naguey to be completed by the Northern Builders/JOMARCANN General Construction (Joint Venture) within at least 539 calendar days.

“Because of your sacrifices, hard work and patience, the province of Benguet was able to avail of projects with an aggregate amount of P442 million under the infrastructure component, and P15 million under the enterprise component of the PRDP,” said Dir. Caranguian.

“Let us protect and support this project,” Governor Pacalso said while addressing the locals who were present. “Let us sacrifice if needed.  Our performance here will impact future funding agencies. Therefore, your cooperation, sacrifices, patience is needed during the implementation of this project.  Anyway, after the implementation, we will be proud to say that this road is of world class quality. Thanks to the DA PRDP,” Pacalso added. (Ma. Isabel B. Zabala, DA-PRDP CARPCO InfoACE Unit)