Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III, together with Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque and other local officials, inaugurated the newly completed Gulap-Sto. Rosario farm-to-market road on Wednesday. The P97-million infrastructure project, funded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, is expected to benefit 558 farmers and improve access to approximately 1,449.24 hectares of agricultural land in the town.
Project Details and Impact
The farm-to-market road connects Barangays Gulap and Sto. Rosario, providing a vital link for farmers to transport their produce to markets. Estrella emphasized the government's commitment to supporting agrarian reform beneficiaries through infrastructure development. "This road will not only ease transportation but also reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers' income," he said.
Proposed Virgen Dam Expansion
During the visit, local farmers also sought Estrella's assistance for the proposed construction of a new Virgen Dam to expand irrigation services. Data presented showed that the existing Virgen Dam currently benefits 311 farmers covering 1,081 hectares of farmland. Once completed, the new dam is expected to serve about 4,576 farmers and irrigate approximately 9,975.71 hectares.
Estrella assured the farmers that he would seek funding to realize the project. "You can count on me that I will not stop until we secure the funds to build the new dam," he said in Filipino.
Local Government Support
Mayor Maglanque expressed gratitude to Estrella and DAR for their continued support to Candaba's farmers. "Secretary Estrella and DAR have brought so much help to our farmers, and we are deeply thankful. We will continue to coordinate to bring more projects to Candaba," he said.
Estrella also visited the wake of Matias Mangilit, a Candaba farmer who witnessed the signing of the Agrarian Emancipation Act in 1972 and 2023, highlighting the long-standing partnership between the government and the farming community.
