Bridges to bring down logistics costs for ARBs–DAR Sec
THE logistic costs of the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will be reduced significantly and their market access will be enhanced with the construction of several bridges in the country.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella Jr. said that the bridge infrastructures will soon commence after the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Technical Board (ICC-TB) approved the DAR’s P28.243 billion bridge project of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
Estrella disclosed the project, dubbed “Pang-Agraryong Tulay para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka” (Project PBBM), aims to push countryside progress with the bridge infrastructure that will increase the productivity and income of at least 350,000 households.
“The DAR has so far identified and validated 354 possible sites for the bridges following close coordination with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units,” Estrella said.
He added the project is also part of the socio-economic agenda of the Marcos Jr. administration and detailed in the Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2028.
The modular steel bridges aim to enhance mobility for ARCs, providing better logistics support, increased income opportunities and better access to social services.
Estrella emphasized that Project PBBM will not only benefit the ARBs but also the consumers, owing to the streamlined supply chain and enhanced market connectivity that will be facilitated by these bridges.
