Introduction

Plaridel is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, located in the western region of the country. It's
about 36 kilometers north of Manila, with latitude and longitude of 1452'-1455' and 12050'-12055',
respectively. It is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Baliwag and Pulilan; on the east by the
municipalities of Bustos and Pandi; on the south by the municipalities of Balagtas and Guiguinto; and on
the west by the municipality of Calumpit. It is divided into 19 barangays, with Bulihan being the largest
and Poblacion being the smallest. The Municipality of Plaridel is a part of the triangular cluster of growth
hubs within the Province of Bulacan, which includes the Malolos-Meycauayan Urban Core, the
Norzagaray-San Jose Del Monte Growth Corridor, and the Plaridel-Baliuag Growth Corridor. Aside from
that, it serves adjacent LGUs by providing access to marketplaces and commercial centers, as well as
health services and transit linkages.

In the recent update of the municipality’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the agricultural economy
explained that the main crop planted in the area is rice which is being planted in great part of the
municipality. Far second to rice in agricultural land utilization is for mango at 1.01%, followed by
plantation of eggplant (0.26%) and tomato (0.11%). Other crops in the municipality are ampalaya, okra,
sitaw, and red-hot beans. The volume of production of all crops, except rice and mango, has increased
significantly between 2018 and 2019.

Plaridel's road network spans 51.56 kilometers and is organized in a radial layout with the Barangay
Poblacion in the center, with internal roads inside the Barangay Poblacion and subdivisions following a
gridiron plan. There are also three existing arterial routes that directly run through Plaridel. The North
Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Maharlika Highway, and Plaridel Bypass Road are the three.The Municipality
now has 16 concrete bridges, including 12 large bridges and four small bridges controlled by the
National Irrigation Administration. These bridges have a combined length of 14.986 kilometers.The
municipality has 252 registered jeepneys that run the Malolos-Plaridel route, while buses run longer
routes such as the Malolos-Plaridel route.

Research Question

 What is the impact of Farm to Market Roads in the transport of goods to the local farmers of
Plaridel Bulacan?
 How much of the farm to market roads in Plaridel Bulacan are utilized for its intended purpose?
 Which farm to market road in Plaridel, Bulacan have the highest utilization rate?
 What are the advantages/disadvantages of farm to market roads in Plaridel Bulacan?
Topic Outline with Literature Review

In this study, we can further understand if the agriculture sector benefits greatly from farm-to-market
routes. Effectiveness on the decrease of transportation costs and post-harvest losses for farmers creates
rivalry between traders and suppliers. It also gives you access to social and agricultural support services,
which boosts agricultural output. Its benefits farm laborers and boost agricultural efficiency. This study
will also focus on the Contribution of Farm-to-Market Road Projects in the municipality of Plaridel,
Bulacan.

An article from https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippines-farm-market-road-provides-better-

access-rural-community shows a completion of Farm-to-Market road in Barangay Butig, Lanao del Sur.
The article stated that farmers before the project would spend Php25 to Php50 for each sack of goods
they need to transport and the project reduced the expenses for the farmers. Today farmers earn an
average of Php6,000 in exchange for a 30 days’ work, the money was used by many of the farmers to
buy food for themselves and their family. A leader of farmers in the area shared that the construction of
the FTM road project had challenges but it provided farmers with better opportunities.

AO FROM DA for FTM PROJECTS

Section 52 of RA No. 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act) mandates the Department of
Agriculture (DA) to coordinate with the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the resident-farmers and
fisher folk to identify priority locations of FMRs considering the number of farmers and fisher folk and
their families who shall benefit therefrom and the amount, kind and importance of agricultural and
fisheries products produced in the area. Likewise, Section 24 of RA No. 10601 (Agricultural and Fisheries
Mechanization Law) mandates the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), a new
bureau of DA, to coordinate, oversee and monitor the national planning, implementation and
regulations of FMRs.