Groundbreaking rites for Tubungan farm-to-market road held
Iloilo -- Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban recently led the groundbreaking for the improvement of the Farm to Market Road (FMR) in Barangay Batga, Tubungan. The road project amounted to P666,666.
Panganiban along with DA 6 regional director Jindra Lindra Demeterio, Tubungan Mayor Victor Tabaquirao and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator Oscar Garin went to Barangay Batga for the groundbreaking ceremony.
The farm-to-market road is under the Diversified Farm Income Development Project (DFIMDP). The funding for the DFIMDP came from the World Bank. In the project scheme, the municipal government will shoulder half of the entire cost of the road project. The remaining half of the total project cost will be charged to the DFIMDP.
The road project covers five barangays -- Buenavista, Batga, Jona, Badiang and Navillan. The construction of the farm-to-market road is expected to increase the farmers income by 25 percent.
The presence of the farm-to-market road will also reduce the transport cost of farm produce by 25 percent. It will also shorten the travel time of the goods. Thus, will reduce the post harvest losses to five percent.
The project is located in higher slopes of the mountain and is unpassable for vehicles during rainy season. It is very dusty in this summer season.
Meanwhile, farmer Silvano Tabunggao felt very happy after he received a certificate of ownership for his Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo from Panganiban. He is only one of the farmers in Tubungan who availed of the government's program dubbed as Bull Loan Program (BLP).
Tabunggao said he loaned the buffalo in 2001 under the Bull Loan Program of the Philippine Carabao Center. Farmers from Ayobo, Sibukawan and Bacan, all far-flung barangays also availed of such bull loan program years ago.
The certificate of ownership was given to Tabunggao after he has completed his obligations with the municipal government of Tubungan in compliance with the loan policies.