At long last, the 63 year old island municipality of Olutanga (Zamboanga Sibugay), begins construction on the biggest road concreting project worth P110 million from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

The 6.15 km farm-to-market road (FMR) will start at Barangay Gandaan, which is a coconut  production area, after which it passes through the Sta. Maria Villagonzalo with its agricultural lands and creeks until it reaches Barangay San Jose to join the MRDP road at Barangay Calais which is the end point of the road project.

In his message at the groundbreaking ceremony, Regional Executive Director Rad Donn L. Cedeño explained that this FMR is not the only subproject that can be availed from PRDP because the municipal local government (MLGU) can also get enterprise development subprojects through their local farmers/fisherfolk associations or cooperatives or even propose for another FMR subproject. He lauded the efforts of the officials of the MLGU of Olutanga headed by Mayor Arthur P. Ruste, Sr. for their fervent efforts to get this World Bank assisted project.

“This road is leading to Olutanga’s circumferential road with a short-cut road to two neighboring island municipalities – Talusan and Mabuhay. With this road project we are helping not only the people from our municipality, but also those of our neighboring municipalities,” said Vice Mayor Janie Bert Gumba.

In general, the subproject aims to increase rural income by increasing agricultural and fisheries production and other productivity in the subproject site, thus improving the quality of life of the constituents of the beneficiary barangay,  particularly the communities of seaweed (Agar-Agar) farmers and fisher folk.

As to its expected outcome, the subproject specifically aims to reduce travel time from the farm to the market by at least 50%, from 50 minutes to only 25 minutes; reduce transport losses from 4% to 1%; integrate agricultural production technologies that will enhance agricultural production; reduce hauling costs of farm products from the farms to the markets centers by 50%, from an average of P60.00 per sack to an average of P30.00; to increase the production areas of the commodities  included in the PCIP such as seaweeds from 126.6 ha to 304.39 ha and coconut from 684.52 to 691.74 ha; and finally, to increase the projected traffic volume by at least 2% annually.

Aside from easing delivery of farm inputs and agricultural/fishery products, Director Cedeño stated that this FMR will also serve as a National Security Road for the military and police’s speedy response in case of security threat in the area.

This farm-to-market road project is implemented under the Intensified Building Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) which is the infrastructure development component of DA-PRDP which is jointly funded by the World Bank, the National Government, and the Local Government of Olutanga. ( Remai Alejado | InfoACE 9 / Joy M. Montecalvo | PSO Mindanao)