Baguio City: More than 6,000 residents in three provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are expected to directly benefit from the newly approved sub-projects of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).
According to Philippines News Agency, the approval of the new sub-projects will lead to the continued implementation of rural development efforts which are expected to benefit over 6,000 Cordillerans. Danilo Daguio, regional project coordinating officer of PRDP-CAR and DA-CAR technical director for operations, explained in an interview that the projects approved by the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) include the rehabilitation of the Puntagguwan-Poblacion Communal Irrigation System (CIS) in Hingyon, Ifugao worth PHP9.77 million; improvement of the Bannit-Nunhabatan-Hapid Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) in Lamut, Ifugao worth PHP144.26 million; and the construction of the Malamtam-Bitabit-Catao FMR with bridge at Paracelis, Mountain Province, worth PHP287 million.
The irrigation system project serves Barangays Cabbuyan South and Poblacion and has been used by farmers since the 1980s. However, limited resources have hampered repair and maintenance, resulting in damage that now requires rehabilitation. Upon completion, the irrigated service will expand from 2.68 hectares to 26.56 hectares, aside from ensuring reliable water supply throughout the entire heirloom rice production calendar.
The improvement of the 6.62-km FMR in Lamut, Ifugao, will cover Barangays Payawan and Hapid-two of the municipality's largest villages, directly benefiting 796 households serving 2,956 individuals. The road will also support the Cardava banana production in the area through improved mobility, reduced travel time, and enhanced transport quality-helping ensure that farm produce reaches markets in fresher condition.
Meanwhile, the 9.05-km Malamtam-Bitabit-Catao FMR with bridge begins at Sitio Catao, Barangay Buringal, Paracelis, and reaches up to Barangay Dummon, Quezon, Isabela. A memorandum of agreement has been signed for the project between Mountain Province and Isabela, since 1.8 km of the stretch is under the latter's jurisdiction. While the road primarily passes through Barangay Buringal, it is expected to benefit residents of Barangay Bacarri as well as the nearby communities in Tabuk City, Kalinga, including Malalao and Calaccad. The sub-project will also link with an existing PRDP road in Isabela, enhancing regional connectivity. The road improvement will directly benefit 876 households, serving 3,399 individuals.
Once completed, the subproject is expected to improve access to education, healthcare, and essential services. Lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, DA-CAR Executive Director and RPAB chairperson, stated that the approved projects are part of the billions worth of projects under the PRDP, aimed at boosting agriculture in the project areas. These subprojects will be endorsed to the DA-PRDP National or the regional Project Coordination Office (NPCO) for the issuance of No Objection Letter 1 (NOL1), which will signal the start of the procurement activities.
