DAVAO CITY, July 25, 2025 – Another landmark subproject greenlit! A farm-to-market road (FMR) with bridge proposal by the Davao del Norte Local Project Management Implementation Unit (LPMIU) under the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) XI gained the approval of the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB), signalling the commencement of the Implementation Management Agreement and No Objection Letter 1.
The subproject, lodged under the RPCO’s Component 2 or Resilient Ancestral Domain Agri-Fisheries Infrastructure, is the first in MIADP’s implementation history to have a bridge component.
RPAB approval heralds the facilitation of the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) among MIADP PSO, MIADP RPCO XI, and the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Davao del Norte, then the issuance of No Objection Letter 1 for the procurement process of the subproject.
“Mao na ni ang tubag sa atong gobyerno nga makab-ot na sa atong mga kaigsoonang IP sa Ancestral Domain sa Ata-Manobo ang tabang nga ilahang gikinahanglan. Hapit na, di na ni magdugay,” Regional Executive Director (RED) for the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) XI and MIADP’s Project Director Macario D. Gonzaga, said.
(This is our government’s answer for our IP brothers to finally get what they need in their Ancestral Domain. It’s about to happen, and this (RPAB) hastens it.)
The RPAB is a body responsible for approving subprojects under MIADP’s project implementation. Chaired by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the board is constituted by heads and representatives from relevant national government agencies including the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council (RAFC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“This is our third approved subproject, but the first subproject with a bridge component. It is a historic moment,” Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations and MIADP RPCO XI Deputy Project Director Zabdiel Zacarias emphasized, “Kani nagrepresentar sa 4Ps – Pangandoy, Pag-ampo, Pagpadayon, ug Paglambo. Ang tinood ug tiunay nga kalamboan maangkon nato kung naay kalungtaran.”
(This represents our brothers’ dreams, prayers, grit, and development. A true and honest progress can only be achieved with sustainability.)
Farm-to-Market Road with Bridge Subproject
Spanning a little more than 4.5 kilometers, the two-lane FMR will connect the sitios of Kapatagan and Mangkay in Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. The bridge component, at 60 linear meters with a 4.6-meter width, is situated about three-fourths of the way along the FMR, and will directly benefit sitio Mangkay residents.
At an estimated cost of more than Php 139 million, the infrastructure subproject has the most allocation in MIADP’s implementation yet. Among its objectives, one of the most pressing is the reduction of transport losses in priority commodities of the Ancestral Domain, mainly banana, corn, sweet potatoes, and coconuts.
“Mao na ni ang among panahon. Makuhaan among dagko nga problema…ug sa mga naay dagko nga kasing-kasing nga mibati, nagpasalamat kami,” Indigenous Peoples’ Structure Leader Datu Evangelio Warag emphasized.
(This is now our time. Some of our bigger problems will be diminished…to those who had the heart to feel, we are grateful.)
The infrastructure subproject, once completed, is expected to foster economic growth not only within the AD but also in its neighboring areas, boost agricultural productivity, which in turn should increase incomes.
#IPsHOPE #MIADP #MIADPRPCOXI #ParaSaMasaganangBagongPilipinas
