The completion and opening of a 1.58-kilometer farm-to-market road in Barangay Padolina in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija is now benefiting farmers and residents including those in the neighboring villages.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Department of Public Works and Highways-Nueva Ecija 2nd District Engineering Office said that farmers can now easily transport and deliver their farm produce to markets.
Bernard Bote, a farmer-resident in Barangay Padolina, shared how their livelihood improved after the construction of the farm-to-market road.
“Maraming natutuwa’t naging kalsada na siya. Pabor na pabor sa magsasaka at naging maayos na yung kalsada. Maginhawa naming na-i-aahon yung palay namin dahil dati nahihirapan kaming magsampa ng palay (A lot of people is happy as it became a road and this is favorable to the farmers. We can now comfortably bring our palay unlike before that we were struggling),” Bote was quoted as saying.
Before the road was concreted, he said only hand tractors and carabaos could be used to transport their goods to the province’s major markets.
“But now, buyers can go directly to the sellers’ place,” he added.
Marlon Abes, another farmer in the village, said the newly-completed road makes residents feel safer when traveling.
He said the previous road’s condition was prone to accidents especially during the rainy season when it was rough and muddy.
Elpidio Trinidad, head of the DPWH-Nueva Ecija Second District Engineering Office, said the newly-completed PHP12.3 million road is part of the convergence program of the DPWH and the Department of Agriculture (DA) funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2021.
The DPWH, in partnership with DA, has been constructing and concreting farm-to-market roads to promote the economic development of local communities.
A three-kilometer farm-to-market road in Barangay Pias, also in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija was completed last February.
Last year, three farm-to-market roads were also completed in Nueva Ecija under the DPWH-DA convergence program. (PNA)
