Farmers in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur will now enjoy faster access and improved market opportunities following the turnover of a newly completed farm-to-market road (FMR), the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11) announced Friday.
The 1-kilometer FMR in Barangay Balasiao, Kiblawan town, costing PHP14.96 million, was officially handed over on March 26.
The project is expected to help farmers transport their products faster, safer and less expensive.
Through an interview via DA-11, Barangay Balasiao chairperson Jessi Pandian expressed gratitude to the government for the project, highlighting its importance to residents, especially those in Purok 1.
“We assure the government that we will take responsibility for maintaining the road so it can continue to serve the community in the years ahead,” Pandian said.
With the new FMR, he stated that Barangay Balasiao is now moving toward a more efficient and productive agricultural future.
DA-11 Regional Director Macario Gonzaga said the project was funded under the DA’s FMR Development Program, designed to ease the transport of major crops such as sugarcane, banana, coconut, corn, and rice.
He noted that the road will benefit a growing farming community consisting of 85 farmers and fisherfolk, 150 households, 12 agrarian reform beneficiaries, and 18 indigenous people in the area.
“This allows them to earn more from their harvests while ensuring a steady flow of food supply to nearby communities,” Gonzaga said.
The road is also expected to support daily economic activity, strengthen cooperation among residents, and sustain the needs of the entire community.
“The project is part of a broader initiative to enhance rural infrastructure across the province,” Gonzaga said, noting that more FMR projects worth PHP195 million are scheduled for implementation this year in the municipalities of Hagonoy, Sulop, Malalag and Matanao, in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“These projects aim to reduce transportation and production costs while strengthening the region’s agricultural sector,” he added. (PNA)