CamSur towns get new road, solar dryer

MANILA, Philippines - Local farmers and residents of Ocampo, Camarines Sur are benefiting from the completion of a new farm-to-market road worth P3.75 million, the Department of Agrarian Reform announced.

The concreting of the 300-meter Sitio Francia road is part of the 1.5-kilometer access road funded through the DAR-Agrarian Reform Support Project, a joint undertaking of the Philippine government and the European Union.

Provincial Agrarian Reform officer Ramon Fuentebella said that more than 700 agrarian reform beneficiaries and the residents of Ocampo and its neighboring towns now enjoy economic benefits from the road as it shortens the route from May-Ogob to Pinit and Ocampo by 10 kilometers.

“Unlike before, people used to pass through four barangays, which covers about 15 kilometers, before reaching Pinit and Ocampo towns,” said Fuentebella.

He added, “This road will lessen transportation cost of farmers and residents and reduce travel time to the market centers.”

Fuentebella led the turnover on Friday of the Sito Francia farm-to-market road, along with Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, to the local government of Ocampo.

In the same occasion, the DAR also turned over a 420-square meter solar dryer that was accessed by the DAR through the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Sitio Francia road project and the solar dryer were funded under the Farm Mechanization Project of the DA, while the concreting of the farm-to-market road was part of the convergence initiative of the DAR and DA.

“The flat-bed solar dryer worth P750,000 is a big help for our 185 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Ocampo. They now dry their harvested palay on concrete instead of drying it on soil. The concrete speeds up the drying process and is more hygienic,” Fuentebella said.

The DAR assisted the May-Ogob Agrarian Reform Cooperative in preparing their documents for the realization of the Sitio Francia road and the solar dryer which was endorsed by Robredo to the DA for funding in 2013.