Raul de los Santos, 61 years old, a coconut and rice farmer in Purok 4, Brgy. Pinagwarasan, Basud, Camarines Norte, woke up excited on February 29. It rained hard on Sunday and the road was muddy as usual, but he didn’t mind walking 1.87 kilometers to get to his destination on time. Not because it is Monday, the first day of the working week but because it is the day that he and many residents in his barangay have waited for many years–the start of their dream road project.

“Galing sa loob, lumabas ako para mapakinggan ang tungkol sa proyektong kalsada na matagal na naming hinintay (I came here to listen about the road project that we have waited for many years),” he said. Along with other residents who gathered in front of the 16-wheeler truck which served as a makeshift stage, Raul attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the P219.8 million-worth Concreting of Pinagwarasan to Lanot Farm to Market Road (FMR) in their barangay.

Likewise, for many years, coconut and rice farmer Susan de los Santos of Brgy. Colasi, Mercedes have been used to traveling the rugged road via jeepney from their barangay to Daet, the province’s capital, to sell her produce and buy basic commodities for her family. From Colasi to the jeepney terminal in Pambuhan, she takes the habal-habal for P150 then pays P35 for her jeepney ride going to Daet. To save money, she goes to the market every two weeks or twice a month. She considers it a big blessing to have a road in their barangay so she didn’t want to miss the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko kasi malaking pakinabang ito sa amin pag pupunta ng Daet. Hindi na mahirap sa sasakyan, ang mga produkto madali nang dalhin (I am very much thankful because this will greatly benefit us if we need to go to Daet. It won’t be hard for us to commute and transporting our products will become easier), she said.

The groundbreaking ceremonies in Brgy. Pinagwarasan and Brgy. Colasi signal the start of the single biggest FMR project in the region that will be funded under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
The activity was attended by local officials of the Province of Camarines Norte headed by Acting Governor Jonah G. Pimentel, technical staff from the DA Regional Field Office V led by Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Dr. Elena B. de los Santos, and DA PRDP Project Support Office South Luzon headed by Director Shandy M. Hubilla. Former Camarines Norte Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato and Governor Edgardo A. Tallado also graced the occasion.

According to PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Director Shandy M. Hubilla, the Project’s issuance of the No Objection Letter 2 or approval of the 21.15-kilometer FMR sub-project last February 23, 2016 signals the start of construction by the winning bidder.
“Anytime, pwede na kayong magpasimula ng kalsada (You may start the road construction anytime),” Hubilla said. After the groundbreaking ceremonies, Hubilla also presided over the Pre-Construction Conference for the FMR to define the conditions, rules and responsibilities of the concerned parties in the project implementation.

In his message, Acting Governor Jonah G. Pimentel thanked the DA PRDP and the Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) of Camarines Norte headed by Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Elena B. Austria for exerting their best efforts to push for the project’s approval. He also acknowledged the residents’ role in monitoring the project implementation.
“Malaki ang katungkulan ng mga mamamayan upang masiguro na ang kalidad ng kalsada ay batay sa specification at ang bawat sentimo ng proyekto ay mapupunta sa implementasyon (The community plays a very important role in ensuring that the road quality complies with the standard specification and that every centavo of the project goes to its implementation),” he said.

DA RFO V Regional Executive Director Abelardo R. Bragas, in a message read by his representative PRDP Deputy Project Director Dr. De los Santos, congratulated the local government of Camarines Norte particularly the PPMIU for the project’s approval after almost three years of waiting. He also stressed the road’s expected impact to the communities within the road influence area particularly to the agri-fishery sector in the province.
“Sa pamamagitan ng proyektong ito, inaasahan natin na mababawasan ang hauling cost ng mga produkto ng limampung porsyento (50%) na katumbas ng pitumputlimang piso (P75.00) sa bawat sako ng copra, palay at gulay o sampu hanggang dalawampung centavo sa bawat pinya (This project will reduce the hauling cost of produce by 50 percent equivalent to P75 for each sack of copra, rice and vegetables or 10 to 20 centavos per pineapple),” Bragas said. He added that the FMR will also open doors of opportunities for the community to increase their incomes as the PRDP invests in enterprise development of coco geonets manufacturing and pineapple trading and processing.

Hubilla appealed for 100 percent commitment from the province in the project implementation saying “Inaasahan po namin na ito ay magiging isang kalsadang pwedeng maipagmalaki at mahabang panahon nating mapapakinabangan. Sementado and could last 10 to 20 years (We are expecting this road to be something that we can be proud of and could last for a long period of time. Not a gravel road but a concrete one which could last 10 to 20 years),” he added.
Abner Y. Reyes, J.D. Legazpi Construction/JBROS. Construction Corp. Project Monitoring Head makes the assurance that his company will construct a quality and sturdy road compliant with the PRDP standards.

The Concreting of Pinagwarasan to Lanot Road is one of the seven FMR projects proposed by the LGU of Camarines Norte with an aggregate amount of about P600 million. It will benefit 17,563 population or 3,513 households in 13 barangays within the road influence area including nine coastal barangays in Mercedes and four barangays in Basud.

PRDP is a six-year project worth P27.48 billion being implemented by the Department of Agriculture to establish a modern, inclusive, value-chain oriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector nationwide. (Annielyn L. Baleza, I-SUPPORT InfoACE Unit, DA-RAFIS 5)

PRDP PSO South Luzon Director Shandy M. Hubilla congratulates the Provincial Local Government Unit of Camarines Norte for the approval of the single largest FMR project to be funded by the Project in Bicol. He also appeals for the PLGU’s 100% commitment in ensuring the quality of the project implementation.

(from right) PRDP PSO South Luzon Director Shandy M. Hubilla and DA RTD for O&E Dr. Elena B. de los Santos witness the laying of time capsule headed by Camarines Norte Acting Governor Jonah G. Pimentel (center) during the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Concreting of Pinagwarasan to Lanot FMR in Brgy. Colasi, Mercedes, Camarines Norte on February 29, 2016.

PRDP PSO South Luzon Director Shandy M. Hubilla encourages the stakeholders of the Concreting of Pinagwarasan to Lanot FMR to raise their issues and concerns pertaining to the project implementation during the Pre-Construction Conference held at the Provincial Capitol in Daet, Camarines Norte shortly after the groundbreaking ceremonies held in Brgy. Pinagwarasan, Basud and Brgy. Colasi in Mercedes, Camarines Norte.