Farming is hard but the lack of a usable road going to the market makes it harder especially for farmers like the 65-year-old Marcelino Dag-uman.

A long-time resident of Barangay Gasa, Zamboanga del Sur, Marcelino can still recall the struggle of transporting their goods to the market in Pagadian City. The only road they had back then was rough road and was prone to flooding and landslides during rainy days. Farmers suffered from high transportation costs which in turn took away from their income. 

“Delivering our farm produce to the market was very difficult and expensive,” said Marcelino. “For hauling, we had to pay P120.00 per sack plus P100.00 fare per person going to Pagadian City. In rainy months, even large trucks could not pass through the road and had to wait for the rain to stop because it was too slippery and dangerous. As a result, some of our harvests would end up damaged.”

Marcelino never expected that their situation would change and had accepted their fate that the road in Barangay Gasa would never improve.

Marcelino Dag-uman plowing his rice field

This was until the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project started the “Concreting of Biswangan-Gasa-Farm-to-Market Road” on April 16, 2019. 

The P84.36 million subproject paved the way to 7.94 kilometers of concrete road traversing two barangays – Barangay Biswangan and Barangay Gasa.  Not only did this FMR subproject provide better road access for farmers and residents in the area, but it also attracted traders and buyers to come into Brgy. Gasa to purchase farm produce directly from the farmers.  

“There is indeed a significant change in our situation because our products like corn, rice, ginger and other root crops now have sure buyers who come here to buy them. This reduced our expenses in transportation which is now added to our savings,” added Marcelino.

DA-PRDP FMR subproject constructed beside the rice field in Barangay Gasa and Biswangan.

On rainy days, farmers no longer have to worry about their safety while delivering their harvest to Pagadian City. 

“Now when we deliver our harvest to market, we can travel any time of the day regardless of the weather condition because there are many motorcycles here that can transport our harvest to market for a lesser fare because of this road from DA-PRDP,” Marcelino added. 

The farm-to-market road was officially turned over last June 7, 2021, answering the prayer of farmers in Biswangan and Gasa for a concreted road.

 “We are very thankful that this project happened here. I never expected that there would be big developments such as this, and that in my 65 years I was able to witness the road in our community finally concreted by our government. Thank you,” Marcelino said.