ACCESS ROAD. This undated photo shows the newly opened seven-kilometer access road in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The PHP58-million road was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency as an “agroforestry support facility” under the 10-year Forestland Management Project in the Pantabangan-Carranglan watershed. (Photo courtesy of DENR-Region 3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Upland farmers in Carranglan town in Nueva Ecija can now easily transport their products from their agroforestry farm to the nearest market through the newly opened seven-kilometer access road.
Paquito Moreno Jr., executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon, said on Thursday the PHP58-million worth access road was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as an “agroforestry support facility” under the 10-year Forestland Management Project (FMP) in the 44,000-hectare Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed (PCW).
Moreno said the new Dilaing Bato-Calo Mambeja access road that connects the villages of R.A. Padilla and Bunga will boost the livelihood of some 1,400 families, including the farmers.
“Our upland farmers will have an easier time transporting their products like cashews and other agroforest crops to the market. It will also boost local trade and productivity and help in the prevention of forest fires,” he said in a social media post.
He said the transportation cost and travel time of goods and services will be reduced significantly and can minimize the losses of local farmers while children and families will have better access to healthcare, education, and other government services.
“We can also better protect our reforestation site since the access road can help us respond immediately during any forest or grass fire incident including tracking of timber poachers,” he added.
The Dilaing Bato-Calo Mambeja access road is the fifth agroforestry support facility implemented by JICA for the last two years in the PCW.
The others were the 60-meter long bridge in Sitio Pamalayan in Barangay Conversion in Pantabangan town, the eight-kilometer long Calaocan Irrigation Pipeline System, and the 55-meter long Calaocan hanging bridge in Barangay Burgos and 80-meter long Barat reinforced concrete bridge in Sitio Kanlungan, all in Carranglan town.
Launched in 2021, the FMP is a 10-year reforestation project that aims to rehabilitate PCW and strengthen forestland management through the collaborative community-based forest management strategy.
It integrates conservation and development-oriented activities with participation and capacity-building of local communities to rehabilitate degraded forestlands in three critical river basins, including Upper Magat and Cagayan in Region 2, Upper Pampanga in Region 3, and Jalaur in Iloilo. (PNA)
