Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib assured the corruption-free implementation and early completion of the Rehabilitation of the Daligdigon–Paiton Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) with Bridge component in the tribal town of Talaingod.

“Rest assured that this project will be implemented well… This is the best Christmas gift that we can give our Indigenous People,” the governor said, during the signing of the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) for the P270-million project funded by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

The governor formally signed the agreement with Department of Agriculture (DA)-XI Regional Director and PRDP PSO–Mindanao Project Director Macario Gonzaga, to mark the official start of the implementation of the 7.8-kilometer FMR project.

Over 15,000 residents, who are mostly tribal folks, will benefit from the project that will serve some 2,694-hectare road influence area covering barangays in the municipalities of Talaingod and Kapalong.

Designed to boost farm connectivity and rural development, the project intends to improve the access of IP communities to the markets and basic services, while significantly reducing hauling costs, travel time, and postharvest losses.

Specifically, the project is expected to increase traffic volume by 4% annually, cut travel time by 26 minutes from the production area down to the markets, reduce hauling costs by up to 35%, and lower transport losses from 2.2% to 0.1%.

PRDP-RPCO XI Deputy Project Director Marie Ann Constantino and PRDP-PSO Mindanao Deputy Project Director Carlene Collado, Provincial Administrator and PPMIU Head Atty. Ralph Dela Cruz, Provincial Planning Coordinator Engr. Maria Hazel Zafra and other department head witnessed the signing ceremony.