Davao de oro: Six newly completed farm-to-market roads (FMRs) worth PHP123 million will improve mobility for thousands of farmers and residents in Davao de Oro, agriculture officials said Tuesday (Dec. 2, 2025). The projects in the municipalities of Maragusan, Montevista, Compostela, and New Bataan aim to reduce travel time and costs for delivering high-value crops to market.

According to Philippines News Agency, the turnover of these six FMRs is a direct fulfillment of the Department of Agriculture's commitment to the farming communities in Davao de Oro. DA-11 Regional Technical Director Marie Ann Constantino highlighted that by reducing the time and cost it takes for farmers to bring their high-value crops to market, the initiative is ensuring higher incomes and greater food security for the region.

The projects, amounting to PHP123 million with a combined length of 4.3 kilometers, are expected to improve connectivity, reduce hauling costs, and minimize post-harvest losses in agricultural communities. The longest road is a 1.640-kilometer stretch in Barangay New Albay, Maragusan, costing PHP49.7 million. In Montevista, the DA-11 completed two roads - 0.480 km in Barangay Bankerohan Norte and 0.547 km connecting Purok 6 to Purok 3 in Barangay New Cebulan.

The remaining two projects are located in Barangay Panansalan, Compostela, and Barangay Magangit, New Bataan. Constantino stated that the DA expects the new roads to ease the movement of goods and services, particularly during the rainy season when unpaved routes previously became difficult to traverse.