ANTIQUE – A proposed P200 million concrete farm-to-market road stands to benefit upland barangays (villages) in the southernmost part of this province.
It is funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project of the Department of Agriculture.
The project, stretching eight kilometers, will connect the border barangays of Anini-y and Tobias Fornier towns, said Vice Gov. 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 farm-to-market road 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)/PN
