On December 14, 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inaugurated 17,000th kilometer of farm-to-market road in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental that will help farmers transport their goods more efficiently.
President Arroyo inaugurates 17,000th km milestone FMR
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo celebrated a milestone on December 14 with the inauguration of the 17,000th km stretch of farm-to-market road (FMR) in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
The President said the residents of Laguindingan are lucky to have a farm-to-market road that is within the access of the Laguindingan International Airport Development Project (LIADP).
“You are very lucky. You have your airport and now farm-to-market roads that will make the transport of your farm produce faster, more efficient, and easier,” the President said.
The barangays include Poblacion, Gasi, Liberty and San Isidro where some 600 hectares of banana, 360 hectares of corn, 210 hectares of coconut, 177 hectares of mangoes, 120 hectares of cassava, and 87 hectares of vegetables are being farmed.
From a counter-part scheme of P1.5 million by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and P150,000 by the local government unit, the FMR project, implemented from November 26 to December 8 of this year, has generated 118 jobs and expects to benefit some 2,003 households.
Mayor Ubaub said the project will improve the lives of the farmers, more so with his “Gulayan sa Barangay” project where every household will have some 200 square meters planted to high value crops.
Gasi Barangay Chairman Francisco N. Saburao recounts how difficult it was to travel before the rehabilitation of the FMR.
“Nagpapasalamat kami ng lubusan dahil napondohan nila itong daan at naibsan ang aming paghihirap,” Saburao said.
Another beneficiary, Osias Estrada, driver of a habal-habal (single motorcycle), said, “I truly thank the President for improving our FMR because I can now make more trips to bring the farmers’ produce to the market.”
Estrada, who has five children also said the new road condition and the income he derives from driving will help him send them to school.
For his part, Mario Quilab, one of the construction workers and a father of two, told the President he was lucky to be part of the project because he was able to generate resources for his family needs during the construction of the project.
During her visit, the President also inspected the on-going construction of the $107 million Laguindingan Airport there. -PIA
Categorized as Milestones