In 2014, average daily traffic count in Brgy. San Isidro-Pag-oring Road in San Isidro Junction in Libmanan, Camarines Sur is 351 vehicles with 11 average daily trips.

With the completion of the Rehabilitation of the six-kilometer San Isidro-Pag Oring Nuevo Farm-to-Market Road, an average of 464 motor vehicles per day are projected to traverse the road influence area. This is equivalent to 32 percent increase in general traffic volume.

Pablito Sanugal, 54, a resident of Zone 6 Brgy. Pag-Oring Nuevo for 14 years, noticed the recent increase in motor vehicles that enter the road influence area. He even invested a motorcycle for himself when he learned that the FMR will soon be completed.

“Ta naumpisahan na ang tinampo sabi ko mabakal na ako motor ta matatapos na yan. Ngonian marhay na baga. Dae na nasasakitan su mga parahabal-habal kadto may mga nagseseremplang digdi. Ngonian maski pa maraming karga dae na talaga nagsesemplang. Maogma man kami ta sementado na (When the road construction started, I said, it’s time that I invest in a motorcycle because soon it will be completed. It’s better now especially for motorcycle drivers unlike before that they are prone to accidents. Even if they are loaded with baggage, motorcycles don’t crash anymore. We are happy that finally, our road was concreted),” he said.

Currently, the Rehabilitation of San Isidro-Pag Oring Nuevo FMR now reported as completed, has reduced the travel time by an average of 15 minutes. Rhoderick Alvaro, 36, a coconut and livestock farmer from Brgy. Pag-Oring Nuevo in Libmanan, Camarines Sur said that a “habal-habal” ride going to Brgy. Pag-Oring from the town center used to require more than an hour. With the road rehabilitation, travel time only takes 25 minutes.

“Noon matagal ang pag-transport kasi mahina yung takbo ng sasakyan. Ngayon, mas mabilis na kasi maganda na ang kalsada. Maski yung mga namimili, sila na ang nagpi-pickup ng produkto (Transporting our products used to be very time-consuming because the bad road limits vehicles’ speed. With the rehabilitated road, travel time was now reduced. Even our buyers are already willing to pick up our products)” he said.

The FMR will also serve as an access road linking the economic growth points of the 14 barangays of Libmanan, including its mountainous and coastal barangays, to the national highway. This will reduce the hauling cost of all inflows and outflows of agri-fishery commodities and hasten the delivery of fresh and good quality agri-fishery products to the town proper and other commercial centers.

The P44.29 million-worth Rehabilitation of San Isidro-Pag Oring Nuevo FMR is one of the three on-going infrastructure development (I-BUILD) subprojects of the Province of Camarines Sur funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The FMR will positively impact a total of 7,287 individuals or 1,514 households. It is also expected to bring socio-economic benefits to the project area, particularly the barangays of San Isidro, Pag-Oring Nuevo, Pag-Oring Viejo and Malinao.

“Sa ngonian, marahay-rahay na ta okay na man ang tinampo. Dati, malaboy, sira-sira yung tinampo. Mas magayon ngonian. Ang mga estudyante naglalakaw sa bako na malaboy, sementado tsaka nakasapatos sinda, nakauniform, dati nakatsinelas lang. Mas mabilis ngayon kasi may sasakyan na kesa noon na naglalakad kami. Dati, maghapon ang byahe ngonian, madali na lang. Kung halimbawa may pasyente, mailalabas tulos kaysa dati isasakay pa sa duyan maglalakad pa kamo (Our lives have become easier now because of the road rehabilitation. We used to tread a muddy and damaged road, now, we have a better one. Students now walk on an undamaged road wearing shoes and school uniforms unlike before that they had to wear slippers. Also, travel time is faster now because of the access road. Before, we only walk or spend a whole day travelling to our destination. Sick residents who need emergency care need not be transported using a hammock to reach the hospital)” Estrella P. Sisno, 50, resident of Brgy. Pag-Oring Nuevo in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, added. ###(Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)