ZARAGOZA,
Nueva Ecija – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the municipal
government unveiled here on Thursday P29.8-million worth of projects funded by
the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) covering a farm-to-market
road (FMR), potable water system (PWS) and day-care centers (DCCs) benefiting
4,904 local residents in two Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs).
DAR regional director for Central Luzon Arnel Dizon
led the launch of the projects at the municipal gymnasium along with DAR provincial
agrarian reform officer (PARO) 2 Romeo Cordero, PARO 1 Jocelyn Ramones, Mayor
Lovella Belmonte-Espiritu and other local officials.
The projects consist of the 2.6-kilometer,
P18.5-million FMR in barangays Sta. Lucia Young and Old covered by the ARC, PWS
for 216 households in Sta. Lucia Old and the repair and renovation of day-care
centers in all 19 barangays of this third-class town.
ARCs refer to a cluster of barangays provided support
services by the DAR.
Belmonte-Espiritu said the three projects are
high-impact projects, particularly the FMR which enables 3,794 local residents
to have access to good roads and hasten the transport of agricultural produce
from the farms to the market.
The economy of this town, covering a population of
42,217 and a household population of 9,874, is largely agricultural with 6,246
hectares out of land area devoted to farming.
Belmonte-Espiritu said that prior to the completion of
the road, local residents have been enduring the dirt road, particularly during
the rainy season when it gets muddy.
“The local residents have suffered long and hard
waiting for the road network to be concreted. It has been a long wait. Now,
they can finally cross the road in the two barangays without having to worry
about the bad road condition,” she said.
Cordero said the three projects are under the Agrarian
Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP) of the DAR whose scope covers
FMR, PWS, communal irrigation system (CIS), agriculture and agribusiness
development (AAD) and institutional development (ID); and other program
components such as the grassroots participatory planning and budgeting (GPPB)
and ARCCESS covering mechanized palay production.
ARISP is a JICA-funded project wherein the local
government unit (LGU) and recipient shell out their equity.
As its equity for the FMR, the municipal government
has earmarked P2.4 million and also bankrolled
four other road projects spanning 15 kilometers worth P17 million.
For the PWS, the municipal government also allocated
P2.5 million as its share for the establishment of an elevated water tank for
216 households.
Belmonte-Espiritu said that for the DCCs, 914 children under the day-care service will
be the principal beneficiaries of the project worth P950,000.
She said over the last three years, the town has been
the recipient of various projects funded by both the national and provincial
governments involving a P10-million flood control project, nutrition, disaster
preparedness, infrastructure and education.
She said that Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali has extended to the municipal government
projects involving the construction of gymnasium cum evacuation center, and several
bags of cement for its “Bayanihan” road-concreting project in the barangays,
scholarship programs for poor but deserving students and assistance to senior
citizens.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, she
noted, has also released a P1.2 million-check for supplemental feeding and hog
dispersal.
Belmonte-Espiritu added that the AECID or the Spanish
Cooperation Agency for International Development also gave a P4-million grant
to the town for disaster preparedness.
Jocelyn Ramones,
provincial agrarian reform officer 1, said that early this month, they also
turned over a P4.5-million water systems project to the Canaan West Potable
Water Service Cooperative (CWPWSC) in Rizal town.
The project,
completed in partnership with Rizal Mayor Rafaelito Andres, enabled 130 households
to now avail of clean, potable water in the said town.
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