Farmers and residents in Besao, Mountain Province are now assured of a better access road, following the completion of the new and improved 8.938-kilometer Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) that was inaugurated and turned over on July 29, 2021.

During the turnover ceremony, Liga ng Barangay President Corsio Ganima expressed his gratitude to the improvement and completion of the FMR.

“I cannot express my gratitude enough for the completion of this project. If I am not mistaken, 90 percent of the community’s basic needs pass through this road and improving it also means a 90-percent contribution to the improvement of their lives,” Ganima said.

The said FMR, with a total amount of PhP98.54 million, is the first segment of the improvement of the Besao – Nacawang (Segment 1) and the Tadian – Mabalite (Segment 2) FMR subproject implemented under the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) and the provincial local government of Mountain Province. To date, the FMR serves around 18,357 individuals from the different barangays of Besao and Tadian, including the Municipality of Quirino, Ilocos Sur.

During the program, Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr. thanked the DA for the countless interventions that were given to Mountain Province, including the completed and ongoing PRDP infrastructure and enterprise subprojects.

“We have allotted PhP8 million for the maintenance/improvement of this road and we assure you that we will do our part in maintaining this road so that it will always be safe, passable and make its service areas accessible,” Governor Lacwasan Jr. said.

In his message, DA-CAR OIC Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey explained that the subproject originally covers the whole stretch of Besao to Mabalite, Tadian, but was separated into two segments due to some constraints.

“It didn’t go as planned, but at least this segment is now complete and construction works for the second segment already started,” Director Odsey expressed.

Besides a provincial road, Director Odsey added that the road is a very strategic artery that connects Mountain Province to the province of Benguet and Ilocos Sur, and stressed that maintaining the road is a shared responsibility especially from its primary users.

DA-PRDP North Luzon Deputy Project Director Elma S. Mananes also hopes for the improvement of the second segment, the Tadian-Mabalite road, to be completed by next year.

“Congratulations, and I hope through this project, we were able to express the government’s care for the farmers and communities here in the Cordillera,” Director Mananes added.

### Elvy T. Estacio (DA-PRDP)

Mountain Provine Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., together with Vice Governor Francus Tauli, Besao Vice Mayor Jun Lopsoten, PSO North Luzon Deputy Project Director Elma Mananes, and DA-CAR OIC-Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey, formally turnovers the improvement of Besao-Nacawang and Tadian-Mabalite FMR (Segment 1) on July 30, 2021.

Punong barangays of the barangays covered by the FMR subproject commit to do their share in the maintenance of the road during the turnover ceremony.