Manila: Indigenous people farmers in Barangays Bagyang and Bolhoon in Surigao del Sur will soon gain vital access to markets and livelihood opportunities through newly built farm-to-market roads. The projects aim to enhance connectivity and provide much-needed infrastructure to support the agricultural activities of the local communities.
According to Philippines News Agency, the two projects consist of the improvement and concreting of the 1.1-kilometer Purok 8 to the Nahikyad-Tambonon farm-to-market road (FMR), costing PHP21.4 million, and the improvement and concreting of the 2.4-kilometer Lower Bagyang to Upper Bagyang FMR, with an appropriation of PHP37.1 million. The combined cost of the two projects is PHP58.5 million.
The projects will primarily benefit the indigenous communities inside Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 116, which covers the Manobo tribe in San Miguel. CADT 116 is one of five priority ancestral domains in the Caraga Region identified for the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), covering a total land area exceeding 129,000 hectares and home to about 47,000 indigenous people.
The projects are implemented under the MIADP of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in partnership with the provincial government of Surigao del Sur. Launched in 2023, the PHP6.6 billion World Bank-funded program aims to sustainably increase agricultural productivity, enhance the resilience of indigenous farming systems, and improve access to markets and services for organized farmer and fisherfolk groups in selected ancestral domains across Mindanao.
Datu Rico Maca, the IP Mandatory Representative in San Miguel, stated that the infrastructures are transformative for the Manobo tribe in Bagyang and Bolhoon, as they will provide faster, safer, and easier access to market centers, especially for farmers. He noted that about 800 hectares of farmlands in the two barangays are currently devoted to abaca, coconut, banana, and corn production, with more than 90 percent of IP residents engaged in these crops.
The road projects are seen as lifelines by over a thousand IP farmers, ensuring increased farm production and income. Maca emphasized that the FMRs will integrate the ancestral lands into the broader economic and social fabric of Surigao del Sur while safeguarding their cultural identity.
Tribal leaders Datu Subang Arnold Acebedo and Datu Bislao Aly Montenegro also expressed their support for the construction of the FMR. Montenegro highlighted the benefits for children and youth, providing safer and faster routes to schools and potentially reducing absenteeism and dropout rates. Acebedo underscored the importance of the road in providing access to health centers and facilities, especially during emergencies.
The groundbreaking of the project was led by DA Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo, along with DA 13 (Caraga) Executive Director Ricardo O±ate Jr., Surigao del Sur Provincial Administrator John Vincent Pimentel, and San Miguel Mayor Michael Corilla.
