The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed some PHP150.9 million worth of infrastructure projects designed to help improve access and productivity in an emerging agribusiness area in Lake Sebu town, South Cotabato province.

Engineer Khalil Sultan, chief of the South Cotabato 2nd District Engineering Office, said Monday the projects consist of three road and two bridge constructions funded under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development Program (MinSAAD).

Sultan said under the program, the DAR has approved at least six infrastructure support projects in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu.

A report released by DPWH 12 (Soccsksargen) said the finished projects covered a total of 13.09 km. of farm-to-market roads and combined 30 meters of bridges.

Completed were the concreting of the Block 2-Antual-K’batang road (6.96 km.); Tinugas-Lawaan road (3.43 km.); Block 4-Seven Lakes road (2.7km.); Sitio K’batang bridge (10 m.); and Antual bridge (20 m.).

“These were completed last December and already turned over to the recipients,” Sultan said, adding that the concreting of the 9.2- km. first segment of the Ned Proper- S’laban-K’batang road was ongoing and due for completion by the end of the month.

He said the projects would help boost the productivity of small farmers in parts of Barangay Ned, which is one of the remotest barangays of South Cotabato.

The area, which hosts about 35 percent of Lake Sebu’s more than 90,000 population and home to indigenous Tbolis, Tirurays, Ubos, and Manobos, has been identified by the provincial government as a potential prime agribusiness zone.

“With these projects, transportation of farm products would be safer, fast, and convenient, and will result (in) fair market prices,” Sultan added.

In the past three years, DPWH-12 already completed 15 of 27 projects that were approved for implementation in the region under the MinSAAD. (PNA)