To officially define the roles, remind the obligations, and set expectations during the project implementation of the rehabilitation of NRJ-Dungo-Divisoria Sur farm to market road, the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project ( DA PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office 2 (RPCO2) conducted a pre-construction conference at the Capitol Compound, Cabarroguis, Quirino, Nov 9-10, 2022. 

The key players participated in the two-day conference, the project beneficiaries under the road influence area, including the villages of Dungo, Aglipay and San Salvador, San Francisco, Cofcaville, and Divisoria Sur in Maddela, Quirino. Spanning 10.4832 km, benefitting 473 households, and supporting the banana industry, it will start its construction within 300 calendar days of completion. 

Carmelita Jimenez, head of the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit of Quirino, said she sees the importance of infrastructure support as a significant component in attaining development in rural communities. 

She said with the outpouring of support for different projects, including the DA PRDP the province (data need to be confirmed) had significantly improved its poverty incidence rate from 20.3 % last 2015 and 8.9 % in 2018. 

“DA PRDP is highly complimentary to the ongoing projects that the province undergoes,” she said, adding that Quirino is equally grateful to the Worldbank and DA PRDP for the completed and approved subprojects. 

The village officials agree that the farm-to-market road will create opportunities for progress and development. 

Julian L. Corpuz, Cofcaville, Maddela village chief said the road would bolster rural development; he added that “this conference will help them at the barangay council to disseminate and answer questions of their constituents during the implementation stage of the said FMR.)

On the other hand, Engr. Alex Mangupag of the Ibuild component and Dr. Marilou Corsino, SES officer, and DeeJhay Cabasal, financial analyst, presented the crucial details of the subproject. At the same time, the contractor committed to closely collaborating with the implementing PLGU and the barangays under the influence area. (MARK ANTHONY GALLIBU, InfoACE RPCO2)