Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Valley – Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar turned over Namabbalan-Cabbo farm-to-market road (FMR) with bridges to the beneficiaries during the inaugural ceremonies led by Gov. Manuel N. Mamba in Cagayan Province.

The 17.8-kilometer FMR with bridges amounts to 210 million pesos funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) directly supports dairy commodity and connects Tuguegarao City and Penablanca.

Under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), the FMR was cost-shared using the sharing scheme wherein the province of Cagayan shared Php20.06 M, the Philippine Government shouldered Php20.06 M, and loan grant from the World Bank which amount to Php160.48 M.

Aside from directly supporting dairy, the road network will benefit 894 households from the four barangays. It aims to reduce transportation/hauling cost of agricultural products by 20 percent from the farm-to-market centers. It also aims to expand the area for corn production by at least 42 hectares.

Dar also announced during the turn over ceremonies that the World Bank has added $287 M additional funding for the PRDP.

With Dar during the turn over and inauguration ceremonies were Gov. Manuel N. Mamba, City Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano, RED Narciso Edillo, RTD Rose Mary G. Aquino, RTD Butch Busania and the Department Heads of Cagayan Provincial Capitol. (Dr. Ferdinand N. Cortez, RPCO2 InfoACE)