By Liezle Basa-Inigo
Lingayen, Pangasinan – The ongoing rehabilitation of the 10.63-kilometer (km) Gonzales-San Juan Farm to Market Road (FMR) under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), which started in the last quarter of 2017, is now 60% complete.
Philippine Rural Development Project (MANILA BULLETIN)
Provincial Engineer Antonieta delos Santos said the project is expected to bring positive impact to the lives of about 13,000 project beneficiaries in six Umingan villages -- Gonzales, Prado, Casillan, Luna Weste, Concepcion, and San Juan.
The residents here mostly farmers, mainly rely on agriculture for sustenance and industry.
The P119.27-million FMR project is being funded by the World Bank, with counterpart funding from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the provincial government.
On June 8, the PRDP (I-BUILD) project site in Umingan will be visited by World Bank executives led by Frauke Jungbluth for inspection, and consultation to draw comments and suggestions of the beneficiaries regarding the road rehab project.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Granex Production, Consolidation and Trading Enterprise, a PRDP (I-REAP) facility, which is run by the provincial government assisted - Alcala Onion Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative will also be visited by the WB team. Consultation is scheduled on June 6 at Alcala Training Center.
WB's implementation support mission in Pangasinan scheduled on June 6-8 also includes the visit and consultation at PRDP I-REAP and I-BUILD facilities in three other areas in the province.
The WB team will be assisted by Agriculture Department regional executives, provincial government representatives led by Governor Amado I. Espino III, chief executives of PRDP beneficiary local government units, and the direct PRDP beneficiaries.
Once the road rehab project in Umingan is completed, the development of a potential agricultural area of 1,749 hectares (has.) is seen.