YOLANDA Hit Municipality Commemorates Anniversary with FMR Groundbreaking

“Nindot nga naay kongkretong nga dalan sa ingon katong dunay tulay nga dili kuyaw inig pagsaka sa tubig labi na kun adunay kalamidad nga muabot “. Mamorjada said.

“It’s a good thing and a relief to have concreted roads even those with bridges that we can safely pass when water arises especially in times of calamities”. Mamorjada said.

Marilyn Mamorjada’s experience four years ago last November 08, 2013, remains vividly carved in her memory – the ravaged homes, livestock killed and wiped out farms that even made them crawl to ground.

But on the very anniversary of the killer typhoon this year, she was among those who witnessed the groundbreaking event that will shape a better future for their town.

A 2.7-kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR) that will be concreted beginning next month under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) costing at P 27 million.

The biggest change will be widely felt by the recipient barangays Kinawahan and Canagahan. Canagahan being part of the Geographically Isolated Disadvantage Area (GIDA) from the Department of Health or areas where services are not easily accessed by people as shared by San Remegio Mayor Mariano Martinez.

Martinez added that the town has still a 45% poverty incidence and having a concreted FMR will help curb the situation.

“Ang solusyon nga among nakita, ang pagsemento ning atong dalan, nga makahatag ug dakong kausaban sa kahimtang sa atong mga kaigsuonan.” Martinez said.

“The only solution is to have the road concreted, this will uplift difficulties experienced by our brothers and sisters,” Martinez said.

HURTING FARMERs POCKETS

Transport fares are causing a lot of inconveniences to farmers daily budget as fares would hike from P30 pesos minimum up to 150 pesos while goods are priced separately.

Marianida Pilapil 69 years old who transports daily to her farm in Kinawahan and even as far as Cebu shared that the FMR will be able to act as a shortcut cutting into half the usual 4-hour trip using the national highway.

BETTER FARM PRODUCE

With the roads’ current situation bananas get bruised, while livestock ended up with broken bones upon reaching to the markets which some consumers would no longer buy.

Moreover, goods transfer can only be made one sack at a time and does not encourage voluminous transfer which farming families would want to practice.

Barangay Captain of Kinawahan Bob Mainit Sr. and Barangay Captain Jaime Vistar of Canagahan can only look forward to being able to deliver highly competitive goods once road rehab will be over next year.

“We owe a lot to the Department of Agriculture in helping the province with this project especially from meetings to compliance with requirements. San Remegio is truly lucky.” Provincial Governor Hilario Davide III expressed.

On another hand, Engr. Jose Alberto Barrogo, Deputy Project Director for the Project Support Office Visayas who graced the event personally encouraged benefiting individuals to actively participate in the monitoring of the project and report any misdoings or violations during project implementation.