
BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed a 571-linear meter, P11.9-million farm-to-market road that will benefit mango farmers in the upland area of the fast-rising town of Carmen in Agusan del Norte province.
DPWH-Agusan del Norte District Engineering Office (DEO) District Engineer (DE) Edmund V. Opinion said with the new road, mango farmers need not walk to their upland plantations and no longer have difficulty transporting their produce to the market.
“This new all-weather farm road will really spur the economy in the town and neighboring areas,” added DPWH-Region 13 Director Engr. Pol M. delos Santos.
“We closely monitored this farm road until its completion so that the living condition of our far-flung farmers will improve while local economy will also grow,” Delos Santos added.
The project from Barangay Poblacion to Sitio Sisiman was implemented by the DPWH-Agusan del Norte DEO and personally supervised by Opinion.
“Our farmers, especially mango growers, are very much happy for this new farm-to-market road,” said a local official, adding that “this really boosts our growing mango industry and other local products.”
Meanwhile, the DPWH has also completed another farm-to-market road that will provide a faster and safer route for farmers transporting their goods to this city.
The P17-million, 1.125-kilometer concrete road implemented by the DPWH-Butuan City DEO links Barangay Antongalon to Barangay Basag and connects to the NRJ Agusan- Davao Road also known as Daang Maharlika here.
Echoing the instruction of DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Delos Santos said that they will carry out the “Build Better More” (BBM) program and prioritize projects supportive of agricultural productivity and the tourism industry that will contribute to the much-needed economic recovery in the fast-rising Caraga region in the Southern Philippines.
Carmen is known for its saccharine mango sought by tourists and people in Agusan del Norte.