SOCIAL PREPARATION. Provincial government personnel conduct geo-tagging activity to determine the number of trees affected by the proposed P200 million worth farm-to-market road in the southernmost part of Antique on Wednesday (Jan. 10, 2024). The project funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project of the Department of Agriculture will connect the border barangays of Anini-y and Tobias Fornier. (Photo courtesy of Serafin Yanga)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A proposed PHP200 million concrete farm-to-market road (FMR) funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) stands to benefit upland barangays (villages) in the southernmost part of Antique.
The project, stretching eight kilometers, will connect the border barangays of Anini-y and Tobias Fornier towns, said Vice Governor Edgar Denosta on Thursday.
“Social preparation is now ongoing in barangays Casay Viejo and Igpalge in Anini-y and Camandagan and Danawan in Tobias Fornier,” he said in an interview.
The social preparation includes meeting with officials and residents of affected barangays and geo-tagging to determine the number of trees to be affected by the road project.
The project will make it accessible for upland farmers to bring their produce like corn, coconut, livestock, and poultry to public markets.
“It is quite hard now for the upland farmers to bring down their products to Anini-y and Tobias Fornier markets because of the unpaved road,” he said.
The FMR will make the barangays accessible to four-wheel vehicles; currently, they hire motorcycles to transport their produce.
The last paved road going to these barangays is in the portion of Casay Viejo, situated about four kilometers from the town proper of Anini-y.
“The tourism potential of these barangays with their scenic views could also be developed,” Denosta said.
Antique Provincial Engineering Office chief Inocencio Dajao, Jr. said they submitted the detailed engineering plan for the project to the Department of Agriculture last month. (PNA)
