San Ildefonso, BULACAN – The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) has been preparing plans to fast track the construction of the P50-million Sumandig- Bubulong Malaki Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) and other infrastructure subprojects that had stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On October 15, 2020, Rural Infrastructure Engineer Lester Bacual initiated a site inspection together with the Provincial Project Management Implementing Unit (PPMIU) of Bulacan and the contractor of the subproject, Northern Builders to gauge the progress of construction work.

“Management meetings are conducted twice a month to facilitate strategies and resolve issues on the ground to fast tract the improvement of the road to meet the target completion within this year,” stated by Engr. Bacual.

He also stressed that the contractor was required to follow guidelines that would outline safeguards to secure the health of construction workers from the spread of COVID-19 as efforts to prevent delays in the construction.

“The DA-PRDP continues to undertake regular on-site inspection activities that are done safely in line with guidelines issued by the government,” Engr. Bacual added.

At present, the FMR has attained 45% on its physical accomplishment and is expected to be completed this coming December.

Other FMR projects of DA-PRDP that are due for completion this year are the Improvement of Poblacion Sur-La Torre-Bantug-Mamandil FMR (Talavera, Nueva Ecija), Improvement of San Jose-San Nicolas via A. Bonifacio FMR (Llanera, Nueva Ecija), Construction of Calantas-Planas-San Jose FMR (Pampanga), Concreting of San Jose-Castuli FMR (Pampanga) and the improvement of the road linking the barangays of R.A Padilla and Bunga in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. (Ma. Reina Len Luna, RPCO3 InfoACE)