FARMING SUPPORT. An eggplant farm in Arellano village in Bobon, Northern Samar. The community is one of the recipients of a PHP57.43 million farm-to-market road as part of the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project. (Photo courtesy of Bobon LGU)
TACLOBAN CITY – The construction of the PHP57.43 million farm-to-market road has started in Bobon, Northern Samar, part of the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), following its groundbreaking last month.
The Magsaysay-Somoroy farm-to-market road in Bobon town will cover five villages in Northern Samar, namely Arellano, Salvacion, Balat Balud, Magsaysay, and Somoroy, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Despite only housing a little over seven hectares of residential land, this area consists of over 607 hectares of agricultural area with an additional estimated potential agricultural area of 25 hectares. The project is forecasted to encompass an overall estimated area of 640 hectares within its road of influence,” the DA regional office here said in a statement.
The project, up for completion in 2025, will benefit at least 912 households with a population of 4,036.
“These farming areas, which were previously difficult to traverse, will be easier to access, and commodities within the project’s area of influence are expected to yield better results, particularly coconut and rice,” the DA said.
Chances for expansion of other agricultural produce, such as abaca, banana, corn, eggplant, and sweet potato, will also rise, according to the DA.
The project is forecasted to increase the overall production of agricultural products and initially increase local economies by 11.7 percent.
Some 80 percent of the project cost will be financed through World Bank loan proceeds, while the national government and the local government unit will shoulder the remaining 20 percent.
The PRDP is a six-year nationwide project of the DA to modernize the fisheries and agriculture sectors.
The six-year rural development project costing PHP27.5 billion is funded through a World Bank loan worth PHP20.56 billion and PHP7 billion in counterpart funds from the central government and local government units. (PNA)
