DA breaks ground on 10.86 -kilometer Nueva Vizcaya FMR project

Author: DA Press Office | 27 September 2026

KAYAPA, Nueva Vizcaya-The Department of Agriculture launched a massive infrastructure push on September 24, 2026, officially breaking ground on the P310.9 million Pangawan-Banao Farm-to-Market Road in this highland town, whose economy is driven by high-value and organic farming, and agroforestry.

Funded under the World Bank-backed DA-PRDP Scale-Up, this critical 10.86-kilometer project is engineered to completely transform the agricultural landscape and uplift rural communities in Northern Luzon.

The P310.9 million total investment is structured through a heavy-hitting financial partnership. It relies on a P248.7 million World Bank loan, perfectly matched by P31.1 million in national government funds alongside an equal P31.1 million equity share from the local government unit.

DA Undersecretary Arrey A. Perez spearheaded the milestone groundbreaking ceremony alongside key local leaders, including Representative Atty. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton, Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito, and Mayor Elizabeth D. Balasya, demonstrating a unified front for regional progress.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. underscored that strategic farm-to-market roads serve as vital economic lifelines for the country.

"Road projects are crucial in giving our farmers direct market access, reducing production and transport costs, and ensuring food security," Laurel said. "By bridging remote farmlands to commercial hubs, we lower consumer food prices, curb everyday expenses, and power sustainable rural development nationwide."

Designed to unlock a sprawling 4,191-hectare road influence area packed with high-value vegetables and coffee plantations, the infrastructure targets heavy logistical roadblocks head-on. Key performance benchmarks for the subproject include slashing travel times and transport losses by at least 50 percent, cutting agricultural hauling costs by 25 percent, and dropping input transport expenses by 17 percent.

Additionally, the initiative aims to drive a steady 2 percent annual increase in traffic volume while expanding yearly tomato production areas by 2 percent and coffee cultivation zones by 1 percent.

Beyond the numbers, the strategic upgrade directly empowers 251 indigenous peoples households, 192 dedicated farming families, and a total population of 1,078 residents across barangays Pangawan and Banao. By cutting down transit hurdles and opening up dependable economic pathways, the project marks a powerful, long-awaited step toward modernizing Philippine agriculture and building resilient farming communities.### (By DA - OSEC Comms)