With the completion of the “Improvement of the Junction-Alimit-Nattum Farm-to-Market Road,” residents of the barangays covered by the road project are now assured of a better-quality and safer access road.

Implemented under the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) and the Provincial Local Government Unit of Ifugao, the completed 4.96-kilometer FMR subproject now serves several barangays – Palaad, Nalbu, Alimit, Banao, and Nattum, all in Mayoyao. It is the sole access road to these communities except for barangay Banao.

Benefiting around 550 households, the subproject was proposed to support the heirloom rice production in the locality. It has a total project cost of PhP140, 528,029.88, shared by the World Bank (loan proceeds), the DA, and the PLGU of Ifugao.

Though it is seven kilometers away from the Municipal Hall and Public market in Poblacion, the progress from before cannot be denied as motorists appeared to have increased with the road improvement. Several agricultural lots along the FMR subproject are now planted with upland rice, legumes, ginger, and tomatoes.

Engineer Joy S. Salvio, one of the Project Engineers of the Alfalfa Construction recalled that as kids, they used to walk for four hours just to reach the river located at barangay Alimit. But with the road improvement, she said that kids nowadays need not to worry about walking for hours if they want to have fun at the river.

As to the implementation of the subproject, Engr. Salvio appreciated the involvement of other units in the monitoring and inspection activities.

“The involvement of the other units is very much appreciated especially the Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) to ensure that the environment will not be gravely affected and to ensure the safety of the project’s social aspect,” Salvio said.

Rural Infrastructure Engineer Edwin B. Camhit of the DA-PRDP Regional Project Coordination office – CAR (RPCO-CAR) said that construction works started in 2019 however, several factors affected the timeline of the subproject. Aside from the pandemic restrictions especially in the past two years, the occurrence of landslides brought by inclement weather conditions have significantly affected the subproject timeline.

Camhit added that there are also other ongoing construction activities in the other barangays which affected the movement of the contractor.

“It may have been completed later than expected, but the development brought by the road improvement is really evident as it will soon open more opportunities for the communities that the FMR subproject serves,” expressed Camhit. // Elvy T. Estacio (RPCO-CAR Writer)