P65 million road project for Daanbantayan OK’d

• Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2015/07/13/1476423/p65-million-road-project-daanbantayan-okd
• Monday, July 13, 2015 12:00 am

By Michael Vencynth H. Braga / FPL (The Freeman)

CEBU, Philippines- A P65-million farm-to-market road project in Daanbantayan town has been approved by the Regional Project Advisory Board-7 of the Philippine Rural Development Project.

The construction of the 6.5-kilometer road link from Barangay Agujo to Tapilon is expected to start before the year ends.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said that infrastructure and countryside developments are among the six key agenda of his administration.

“Public funds must be returned to the public through the basic services,” he said.

He assured that the provincial government would propose more farm-to-market road projects for the province.

The Provincial Information Office reported that the province is proposing a total of 125 kilometers of farm-to-market road projects for 2016 and 2017, some 10 of which have already been validated by the PRDP team. The projects would need around P1.25 billion.

Once these proposed road links get approved, they will be implemented in Tuburan, Dalaguete, Argao, Alegria, Alcoy, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Pinamungajan, Toledo City, Sogod, San Francisco, Poro, and Tudela.

Davide believes that these road projects would increase farm productivity and reduce poverty. It will also provide local farmers easy transportation of their inputs and access to market.

Provincial Agriculturist Roldan Saragena explained farm-to-market roads should be built in agri-production areas.

Last April, at least P143-million worth of farm-to-market road projects for Bogo City and San Remigio were also approved by the advisory board.

The Capitol has earmarked P50 million in its Annual Investment Program this year representing the province’s 10-percent counterpart for the farm-to-market road projects under the PRDP.

RPAB is part of the PRDP’s implementation structure. It is composed of different regional directors of national government agencies and chaired by the regional executive director of Department of Agriculture-7.

PRDP is the P27.5-billion six-year program of DA that aims to reduce poverty and create livelihood opportunities. The project is funded through the loan proceeds from World Bank.

The total amount for the program included the P20.553 billion loan from the World Bank, the P3.5-billion counterpart of the national government, the P3 billion equity of the local government units, and the P287-million grant from the Global Environment Facility.