A farm-to-market road jointly implemented by the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project Regional Project Coordination Office – CALABARZON and the local government of Tagkawayan, Quezon commenced construction. The FMR aims to improve the local virgin coconut oil industry and the quality of life of farmers and residents. The 10 km farmto-market road will traverse barangays Sta. Monica, Sto. Niño, and Manato Station and will connect these areas to Quirino and
Maharlika highways, the major road networks of Tagkawayan. It will cater to 1,468 households and is expected to increase the income of farming families by at least 25%, decrease travel time from Brgy. Sta.
Monica to Manato Station from 42 minutes to 15 minutes, and reduce transport losses by 2% and hauling costs by 30% During the pre-construction convention for the FMR, PRDP 4A Project Director Bragas expressed his optimism on the impact that will be left by the road to the agriculture and fisheries sector According to him, not only will the farmers have better access to markets, but they will also have easier access to interventions and opportunities from the Department of Agriculture to further improve and enrich their production and significantly contribute to the strengthening of food security in the country. Miguel Bermas, a rice and coconut farmer, expressed his gratitude to the PRDP 4A and the LGU. He shared that the concreting of the road will benefit them greatly, especially during the rainy season when the road gets extremely muddy that hauling products becomes extremely costly and difficult. The construction of the FMR is estimated to finish by November 2024. The Tagkawayan LGU commits to ensuring the timely and efficient implementation of the project.
