[ Manila Bulletin Online ] August 28, 2008
By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
BUTUAN CITY - The provincial government of Agusan del Norte is set to acquire some P35 million worth of heavy equipment units for its farm-to-market road projects, it was learned yesterday.
The condition of the barangay roads, especially in far-flung areas of the province, have caused inconvenience to farmers in bringing their farm produce to the market, prompting the provincial government to buy additional equipment for the province primarily to help local farmers have easy and convenient access to the market.
As part of Gov. Erlpe John M. Amante’s "food production program" particularly farmers, technical men of the provincial government already submitted the needed requirements in preparation for ground movement.
"The equipment units will be used for our farm-to-market road projects in the pursuit of a better life for the Agusanons," stressed Amante.
According to Amante the acquisition of these equipment such as one vibratory compactor, one hydraulic excavator, one motor grader, one wheel loader and two units of 10-wheel truck, will come from a loan with Land Bank of the Philippines and will be released before the end of this year.
Meanwhile, in line with President Arroyo’s "food security" program, all the multi-billion infrastructure projects such as construction of national roads and bridges including farm-to-market roads went into high gear and time of completion is on target in different provinces and cities in the region, said Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo.
"We are on the right move and ahead of schedule," declared Momo.
He said the construction (concreting) of the P1.3 billion Surigao-Davao Coastal road and the more than P1.2 billion Butuan-Las Nieves-Prosperidad Section and the Salug (Esperanza) farm-to-market roads in Agusan del Sur, and other island projects in the region are all moving with out delay.
Momo added other multi-billion infrastructure projects in Mindanao are also moving into high gear to hit the target completion before the end of the year, some next year and before 2010.
