Tribal farmers grateful for P10-M road, bridge project

TAGUM CITY (May 7) PIA – Farmers and residents belonging to an Indigenous Peoples community in Dagohoy, Talaingod, this province, praised the government for implementing the P10-million farm-to-market road (FMR) and bridge project that alleviated their life.

Barangay Councilor Jun Katwa, a member of the Ata-Manobo Tribe, said the 2-km Dagohoy, Talaingod-Semong Kapalong FMR, with a 36-linear meter RCDG bridge component, made their life easier.

Katwa, who tends some tracks of farm land in the area, said bringing their harvests to the market in Kapalong was a lot more difficult before.

Aside from the high cost of transporting their produce due to bad road condition, the road is yet impassable during inclement weather when the river overflows.

He said they prefer to use the road as it saves them about 10 kilometers less, compared to taking the better but longer route passing through adjacent Barangay Sto. Niño.

He said the new project, which was financed by the World Bank-funded Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP-2), significantly reduced their transportation cost, since the distance to the market was almost cut in half.

“Daghan jung salamat ani nga proyekto tungud kay mas dali na ug namenosan jud ang among pamilite sa paghatud sa among mga produkto ngadtos palengke (We’re truly grateful since it is much easier and cheaper now for us to transport our products to the market),” he said.

According to him, a chartered motorcycle ride from Sitio Paiton going to Kapalong Public Market now only costs P300 compared to the previous fare of P500.

“Daghan na ming mapalit nga ubang panginahanglanon sa among madaginot (We can now buy other necessities with the amount saved),” he beamed.  

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, who led the launching of the project recently, said the project is a big boost to the No Dead End Road project, which he initiated some years ago.

He affirmed the project will truly increase the income of the tribal farmers and stimulate the development of the two distant communities, benefitting over 5,000 residents. 

The governor further distributed wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and grasscutter to the two barangays for the maintenance of the project.

Together with the governor were Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr.,  Board Members Atty. Joey Raymund Millan, Antonio Lagunsad, and Shirley Belen Aala, Kapalong Mayor Edgardo Timbol, Talaingod Mayor Basilio Libayao and 60 IB Commander Col. Llewelyn Binasoy. (Noel Baguio-PIO Davao del Norte)