Mindless of the heat of the sun, Flocerpida Pamada, joyfully showed her mini-garden in the resettlement area for the residents of Barangay Manangle who were relocated due to the construction of Manangle to Caima Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) in Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

Like other families who were transferred in the area, Pamada planted different varieties of flowers and vegetables on her backyard to make it attractive and homey.

“Maugma kami digdi sa resettlement area, magayon ang klase nin daga kaya magaya-gaya magtanom (We are happy here in the resettlement area, the soil is good for planting, that’s why it’s fun to grow plants),” she said.

The Pamada family is one of the 15 households relocated to the 6,995-square meter resettlement area. It has received financial support from the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur who provided an amount based on the assessment of the Municipal and Provincial Assessor Office who conducted the evaluation of their dismantled dwellings.

Following the principles and objectives for the resettlement policy of the project affected persons (PAPs), the Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Unit of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sipocot have searched for a location where the resettlement activities will be planned and executed as a sustainable development program, providing sufficient investment resources to enable the displaced persons to share in the program benefits.

Out of the 15 households identified to relocate, 3 houses are still unoccupied. Increase in number of occupants is expected as the construction of the FMR continues.

One of the unoccupied houses in the resettlement area. This is owned by Mr. Eduardo Mejes, who currently lives in his other house at the same barangay. (Photo by: Franco Caesar B. Leonardo, PAE, Agricultural Technologist, Sipocot, Camarines Sur)

Once considered illegal occupants, some of these PAPS are now given permanent residential site. They were the 15 families who had expressed their intent to be relocated while other families in barangay Manangle have agreed to move-back.

Each of the PAP had also received 10 GI sheets, one-unit toilet bowl and one-unit pitcher type hand pump provided by the Municipal Mayor Rogenor Astor. The LGU of Sipocot also paid for the establishment of electrical connection in the amount of P238,453 to CASURECO 1, and had spent P68,000 for the establishment of potable water. The Provincial LGU, on the other hand, provided the compensation for the PAPs, and funded the construction of access road to the resettlement site.

Elsienor Villadares, resident of Brgy. Manangle, expressed her gratitude to the LGU, “Nagpapasalamat po kami na dai man kami ninda pinapabayaan. Nainot po ang pagtabang ninda na magkakuryente kami, masunod naman ang tubig (We are thankful that the LGU did not leave us. They helped us to have electricity and now they are working for us to have a potable water supply).”

The residents built a small “bahay-kubo” at the center of the resettlement area, where they conduct their meetings and receive visitors. (Photo by: Franco Caesar B. Leonardo, PAE, Agricultural Technologist, Sipocot, Camarines Sur)

Drying of coconut kernel (copra) and farming is the main source of income of most of the residents and the construction of the FMR would be very beneficial to them for easy transport of their goods. Once the ownership of the area is transferred to the LGU, the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) will take charge of the resettlement area. It intends to train the residents backyard vegetable farming production as well as fruit and non-fruit trees production. Dispersal of chicken, goats and other livestock animals will also be conducted to provide the residents additional sources of income.

With high hopes of improving the quality of lives in the locality of Sipocot, the PLGU and the MLGU support PRDP to attain the transformation of rural areas into a productive and competent community. On the other hand, the LGU is also thankful for the cooperation of the residents.

Manangle-Caima FMR is a P131 million-worth subproject under the PRDP. This FMR is expected to benefit 4,966 residents from the six barangays which will be connected by the market access road to the national highway. ### (Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO 5 InfoACE Unit)