A farm-to-market road (FMR) worth P98,467,102.99 million under Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) has been approved by the Central Luzon (Region III) Regional Program Advisory Board (RPAB) during the RPAB meeting on June 20, 2014 at the Hiyas Convention Center in Malolos City, Bulacan.

The said FMR project covers 9.81 kilometers of concrete road passing through Barangays Bubulong Malaki, Bubulong Munti, Bulusukan and Buhol na Mangga in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

San Ildefonso is among the major producers of lowland vegetables including ampalaya, which is the pilot commodity of the region.

The PRDP, a six-year program of the DA, puts in place interventions and assistance to Local Government Units (LGUs) and Farmers’ Groups based on the Value Chain Analysis (VCA) which maps the flow of agricultural commodities and Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) of a particular province.

RPAB Chairman and PSO Luzon A Director Andrew Villacorta, who spearheaded the meeting expressed his delight over the approval of the said projects which is the first one for the entire cluster.

He said that the FMR will be of great assistance to the farmers and producers of the barangays.

Aside from the approval of the project, the finalization for the VCA for ampalaya and the PCIP for Bulacan province were also deliberated during the meeting.

The RPAB is a multi-sectoral regional body composed of Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, among others.

Sub-projects are vetted by the RPAB for the purpose of facilitating linkages with existing and planned infrastructure and other programs in the regions.

PRDP is expected to launch by the latter part of the year.  (Rosemarie Joson)