This road opens the vast fertile lands of Sampaloc for agricultural production and eco-tourism possibilities.

Sampaloc residents feel civic pride with concreted FMR

Date Published: July 7, 2020

“Nagpapasalamat po kaming lahat dito [sa Brgy. Caldong] dahil sa loob ng kwarentang taon na nakatira kami rito, ngayon lamang nagkaroon ng kalsada rito. Nararamdaman na namin na taga-Sampaloc kami dahil nakakapunta at nakapamimili na kami sa sarili naming bayan.” (We, residents of Brgy. Caldong, are very thankful because in the forty years since we resettled here, this is the first road that has been constructed directly benefitting us. We already feel that we are really residents of Sampaloc as we are finally able to travel and purchase products from the town proper.)”

This is the optimistic insight of Roberto Cabrera, 63, resident from Brgy. Caldong, Sampaloc, Quezon when asked about the impact of the almost completed Construction of Mamala – Taquico – Caldong Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) to their community.

For more than four decades, Cabrera, along with his fellow residents, conducted almost every activity – from going to market, school, and clinic to selling of their agricultural products – of his life in Luisiana, Laguna because only the said municipality has direct access from Brgy. Caldong.

Cabrera is one of the original settlers of the Caldong Resettlement Area created during the Marcos administration for the relocation of kaingeros in Mount Makiling. During those days, they were given necessary amenities except for one – a connecting road from their area to the town proper of Sampaloc.

Marami ng mga presidente at Mayor ang nagdaan na nangangako na gagawa ng kalsada upang magkaroon kami [mga taga-bayan ng Sampaloc] ng mas mabilis na daan papuntang Caldong. Maganda kasi ang lugar nila para sa agrikultura at eco-tourism. Makakatulong ito [FMR] sa kanilang buhay. (Various Presidents and Mayors have promised that they will build a road connecting us [from the city proper of Sampaloc] to Caldong. Their area is good for agriculture and eco-tourism. [This FMR] will surely help their lives improve.)” Municipal Planning and Development Officer Nimfa Abracia of Sampaloc, Quezon said.

With this long-standing hope, the local government of Sampaloc did not hesitate to propose this road segment for possible funding from the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The PRDP-funded FMR will soon be 100% completed if not for the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a length of 10.38-kilometer, this P159 million subproject concreted portions of former rough roads while also opening substantial parts of the barangay to two other beneficiary barangays – Mamala and Taquico. Its road influence area (RIA) covers 2,179 hectares with more than 2,000 of these are being utilized for agricultural production.

The project beneficiaries include 206 households or 1032 individuals, of which, 114 are from farming and fishing families. Their main produce in the RIA is coconut as well as rice, banana, and tilapia.

Noong sinabihan kami ngmay-ari ng lupa na sinasaka namin na ibibigay niya yung lupa para sa kalsada, hindi kami nangimi na pumayag. Bukod sa may natira pa naman sa amin para sakahin ay mas napadali na para sa amin ang pagbababa ng produkto. Noon kasi kailangan pa namin isakay sa kabayo ang mga inani namin pero ngayon yung mismong mamimili na ang nakakapunta sa amin. (When the landowner approached us regarding the land we are tilling; we did not hesitate to give our approval when they told us that they will donate some parts of the land for the road. Aside from the fact that there is still substantive portion of the land that remains for us to farm, the new road also allowed us to transport our harvest more easily. Before, we need to rent horses just to deliver our produce but now, even the buyers and traders can now visit our farm to fetch our harvest.)” Marilyn Ladines, farmer-tenant, said.

Cabrera also stated that before, when they need to do some official transactions in the town proper, they will need to walk across the forest for three to four hours before they can reach the town. But now, even public utility jeepneys can reach Caldong for only 20 minutes.

Another positive development brought about by the road construction is the installation of electric lines by Meralco in the near future. Aside from that, social services provided by the local government and other groups and organizations have been much accessible to these residents. ### (Lawrence Albert A. Bariring, DA-PRDP CALABARZON RPCO InfoACE Unit & Lea P. Caliuag, DA-PRDP PSO South Luzon InfoACE)

This road opens the vast fertile lands of Sampaloc for agricultural production and eco-tourism possibilities.

Roberto Cabrera expresses his gratitude for the various services and opportunities they are now experiencing because of the FMR

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