The Department of Agrarian Reform in Agusan del Sur (DAR-ADS) led on Tuesday the opening of a newly-constructed bridge in Barangay Panagangan, La Paz town to link agrarian communities to market centers in Agusan del Sur.

DAR-ADS Provincial Officer Jamil P. Amatonding, Jr. said the “Tulay ng Pangulo” project would benefit 2,177 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in five barangays in La Paz, especially in the marketing of their farm products, as well as to at least 8,084 residents.

Amatonding said the Panagangan Bridge is one of the four of its kind built under the President’s Bridge Program implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and monitored by the DAR.

“The bridge will link agrarian reform communities in the five barangays to the economic mainstreams, especially in the market centers in Agusan del Sur,” Amatonding said.

Costing PHP20 million, the infrastructure a double lane modular steel bridge with a total length of 22.80 linear meters and a budget of PHP20 million.

“This bridge will open more opportunities for our ARBs in La Paz and the neighboring barangays,” said DAR-Caraga Director Leomides R. Villareal, who graced the bridge’s opening.

Villareal also recognized the vital role of the ARBs in ensuring food security in Agusan del Sur and the rest of the Caraga Region.

“Despite the pandemic, our ARBs continue to produce farm products for our markets. The building of infrastructures such as bridges allow our ARBs to bring their products directly to the market centers,” he said.

“It is not enough to ensure our farmers the ownership of the land they till for years. They also need support services and infrastructures,” he added. (PNA)