The “Tulay ng Pangulo” in Agusan del Sur that was officially opened on Tuesday will benefit some 2,117 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the three barangays of Veruela town in the province, a Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) official said.

Construction of the PHP20-million bridge in Barangay Anitap began in February and was completed early this month, DAR 13 (Caraga) Director Leomides R. Villareal told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Described as a double-lane modular steel bridge, it has a total length of 28.80 linear meters.

“The bridge will serve three barangays, mostly inhabited by our beneficiaries who are rice farmers. These barangays (are) Anitap, Sisimon, and Katipunan,” Villareal said.

He said the bridge’s completion “manifests the dedication of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte,” through the DAR to the farmers and ARBs in Agusan del Sur and the rest of the Caraga region.

“This bridge will allow our ARBs to deliver their goods to the market centers in Agusan del Sur, as well as facilitate the delivery of essential services of the government to our farmers, especially in far-flung areas,” Villareal added.

He said that despite the threats posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the ARBs in Agusan del Sur and the rest of Caraga, through their agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs), continue to flood the markets with rice, vegetables, and other produce to ensure food security.

“We are not yet certain when this pandemic ends but our ARBOs will continue to help the efforts of the local government units and other government agencies to secure the food needs of the people. This bridge will help the ARBs in this town to effectively deliver their farm products to the market centers,” Villareal said. (PNA)