Farm-to-market road fund OKd

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City Council approved the allocation of the city government for the farm-to-market road project, which will be funded by the Department of Agriculture in the amount of P2.5 million.

City Councilor Socrates Fernandez, chairman of the committee on infrastructure, said the DA Regional Field Office already approved the memorandum of agreement entered into by Mayor Johnny De los Reyes.

"The early release of the amount would also facilitate for the expenses and labor necessary for the fulfillment of the project," Fernandez said, adding that the farm-to-market road is seen to improve the people's access to the rest of the city and Talisay proper.

Based on the proposed agreement, the farm-to-market road project covers the mountain barangays.

The road will connect places with higher road class systems and major markets or trading posts. Once constructed, the road networks are seen to generate more jobs, helping farmers bring their goods to their markets more efficiently.

"The LGU-Talisay City is much in need of this project farm to market road, this will expedite and facilitate the mountain farmers to bring down their products to the market," Fernandez said.

In the MOA, the project is embodied under the 2013 Bottom-Up Budgeting and Planning approach for the city's Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan.

Each project will have 120 days to complete.

Fernandez said the city also signified to appropriate the counterpart amount of not less than 10 percent of each total project cost subject to their Internal Revenue Allotment in compliance with the prescribed 2011 General Appropriations Act.

As mandated under Republic Act 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997, the DA "provides post-harvest, infrastructure and facilities to enable small farmers and fisherfolks to have access to technology in order to improve the handling, storage, processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products."  (FREEMAN)