DA clears P727-million Zambales farm-to-market road

MASINLOC, Zambales — The proposed P727-million Baloganon-Sitio Coto, Taltal farm-to-market road (FMR) has received clearance from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), marking a significant milestone for the implementation of one of the country's largest rural infrastructure projects.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. officially awarded the No Objection Letter 1 (NOL 1) for the 26-kilometer Masinloc mega FMR subproject to Masinloc Mayor Hazel Lim at the DA Central Office on Monday, June 29.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that awarding the NOL 1 will kickstart the implementation of vital infrastructure projects that are designed to jumpstart economic growth in rural areas. 

The issuance of NOL 1 authorizes the Masinloc municipal government to proceed with the procurement phase of the subproject, the DA clarified. 

The next steps include conducting orientation activities on the World Bank Harmonized Procurement Guidelines and preparing the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA), both of which are essential to ensure transparent, efficient and timely project implementation, the DA added.

The Masinloc FMR is the longest farm-to-market road rehabilitation project under the PRDP Scale-Up. The project will improve a former mining road that stretches from the national highway in Barangay Baloganon to the foothills of Sitio Coto in Barangay Taltal, which once hosted chromite mining operations.

The FMR improvement project, which includes the construction of 11 bridges along the winding 26-kilometer stretch, is expected to provide safer, faster, and more reliable access to markets, production areas, and essential services, thus reducing transportation costs and post-harvest losses for residents.

The Masinloc LGU said the project will directly serve more than 2,300 hectares of agricultural land planted to mango, rice, and other high-value crops, and will benefit over 1,500 farmers and about 4,500 households, including indigenous peoples.

In the same ceremony last Monday, the DA also issued similar NOL 1s to five other projects under the flagship DA-PRDP Scale-Up program.

These are the concreting of Merit–Concepcion, Victoria–Ma. Concepcion–Happy Valley–Bugtong na Tuog, Socorro FMR in Oriental Mindoro, which is worth P407.46 million; concreting of Matagangtang to Manlut-od FMR in Placer, Masbate, P157.89 million; rehabilitation/concreting of Sumalsag–Comocomo–Mindagat–Lumbatan FMR in Malitbog, Bukidnon, P326.43 million; and concreting of Katipunan–Malinan FMR in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, P138.51 million.

The PRDP, which is a six-year national project funded by the World Bank, is undertaken by the DA to develop a modern, climate-smart, and market-oriented agri-fishery sector. 

The current PRDP Scale-Up program was launched in 2023 to expand on the success of the original PRDP program for 2013-2023. The DA-PRDP Scale-Up now includes 148 subprojects and some P24 billion in funding, the DA said.