Farming is one of the earliest sources of income in Brgy. Sto. Niño and Brgy. Piña in Taysan, Batangas. Rich in natural resources and agricultural lands, the barangays continuously produce and market coconut, bananas, and mangoes to this day, strengthening the economy and food security in Taysan. However, there is a looming risk to the sustainability and growth of food production in these barangays as farmers struggle to bring their produce to the market due to the lack of a concrete and quality road.

Gaudencio Velasquez is a seasoned farmer from Brgy. Piña. For years, he and his fellow farmers have been hauling their produce from their farm to the market by foot or by horse, which takes so much of their time and effort. Rainy days are especially hard for them and sometimes render them hopeless because river’s flooding makes it impossible for them to pass through.

“Kapag bumabaha, wala na kaming magawa sa aming inani dahil delikadong lumusong sa ilog. Nakatambak na lamang ang mga ito at nabubulok na lamang (When it floods, we can’t do anything with our harvest because it is dangerous to go down the river. Unfortunately, our harvests just pile up and rot),” Velasquez shared.

Ricardo Claveria, also a long-time farmer from Brgy. Sto. Niño shared the same struggle. He added that they also lose income from hauling costs and damages to their products from hauling.

Our sales are reduced because some of our harvests fell on the road and got damaged. Because of this, we cannot sell it at a good price.” Claveria shared.

Because of their situation, Velasquez and Claveria  shared that some of their fellow farmers started to lose interest in farming and shifted to day-to-day jobs, entailing a decline in local agricultural production. The local government of Taysan immediately responded to this by partnering with the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) to construct a farm-to-market road. The DA-PRDP is a project of the World Bank and the DA that aims to positively transform the agriculture and fisheries sector by funding and implementing infrastructure and enterprise subprojects.

The partnership resulted in the construction of the 4.3 km Brgy. Sto. Niño-Brgy. Piña Farm-to-Market Road with Bridge, amounting to Php 101,919,216.07. The FMR connects the barangays to the Taysan town proper and nearby municipalities such as Rosario and Lobo. 

Only a few months after completion, farmers and residents are already reaping substantial benefits from the road. Among these is the significantly faster and easier hauling of agricultural products. From 45 minutes, the  travel time from these barangays to the market was reduced to 25 minutes.

“Umulan man o umaraw, panatag na kami na maiibenta ang aming mga ani dahil may tulay na kaming dadaanan pagtawid ng ilog (When it rains or shines, we are confident that our produce will be sold because we now have a bridge to cross the river),” Velasquez shares. In fact, he is now persuading his fellow residents to return to farming.

“Now that the perishable products are lessened, my income has increased. Now, I can finally support my family,” Claveria shares. He is also now using a vehicle to haul his harvests from the farm to the market.

“There is no need to haul our produce to the market because the buyer comes directly to us to pick up our products,” Rene Señadan shares, a coconut farmer in Brgy. Sto. Niño.

Taysan Mayor Grande Gutierrez also shared that the FMR will be instrumental in fulfilling their vision to make Taysan an agro-industrial municipality. The covered barangays can now serve as locations for post-harvest and processing centers of agricultural products and enterprises.

“Now that there are proper quality roads and bridges, business will continue and be stable in these areas. The value of products will increase and there will also be employment opportunities,” Mayor Gutierrez shares.

Because of the numerous benefits and the enormous potential of the FMR to bring progress to the Taysan agriculture sector, the Taysan LGU firmly commits to ensuring they will sustain the quality of the FMR for a long time.  

Last August, barangay officials and residents participated in the DA-PRDP’s Citizens Monitoring Training to strengthen community participation and promote community ownership of agricultural projects. The training resulted in the development of ordinances in the barangays imposing weight and speed limits to avoid accidents and damage on the road.

The community is thankful to  DA-PRDP and Taysan LGU for helping them. Now that farming and traveling to town have become more accessible, the citizens will be more productive, and now, they can give their families a better future. # (My Bejasa, CALABARZON InfoACE Unit)

Before the bridge was constructed in Brgy. Piña, residents directly cross the river in their barangay to go to-and-fro their homes and the Taysan town proper. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Since the condition of the road in their community significantly improved, residents of Brgy. Piña and Sto. Niño are starting to use vehicles making their transportation quicker and easier. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Apart from the river reaching dangerous water levels, muddy pathways during the rainy season hinder farmers in Brgy. Sto. Niño and Piña from bringing their products to the market and selling them at a good price. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Rain or shine, farmers can now rely on their livelihood now that the Brgy. Sto. Niño-Brgy. Piña FMR with Bridge provides them a better and safer pathway going to the market from their farms. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Coconut farmers from Brgy. Piña and Sto. Niño said that hauling their products has become significantly easier now that vehicles can access their farms through the concrete road. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

The Taysan LGU and residents shown their commitment to actively participate in the maintenance and sustainability of the FMR by participating in the Citizens Monitoring Training conducted by the DA-PRDP RPCO CALABARZON last August 2022. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Transportation for students has significantly become safer and better especially in Brgy. Piña now that they do not have to cross the river and walk on dusty, muddy, and rocky pathways to go to school. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)