Contribution of Farm-to-Market Roads

to the Stakeholders in Plaridel, Bulacan

A Research Proposal

Wilbert Geno S. Viernes

2021-32749

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 review of
agricultural economy described 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.

As an agricultural municipality, it is imperative for the local government to provide support to

further expand its agricultural production and productivity. One of the strategies is through an effective
road network to bring the agricultural products directly to the markets.

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.

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

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and these are the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Maharlika Highway, and Plaridel Bypass Road. 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. As of 2020, Plaridel has 64 number of farm-to-market roads.

This research aims to determine the impacts of farm-to-market roads to stakeholders in Plaridel,
Bulacan in terms (1) of time spent in the transport of agricultural products, (2) operational expenses like
use of fuel, manpower requirements, machineries and equipment utilization, (3) longevity of shelf life of
produce, and (4) safety of transportation. As the farm-to-market roads are the link from production areas
to the market, the above factors fall under the efficiency of transporting agricultural products stated under
the infrastructure development component of the Philippine Rural Development Project (Department of
Agriculture, n.d.). Further, this research would like to establish if given the proposed benefits of farm-to-
market roads, these projects are being utilized for its purpose and identify the actual improvements it
created for stakeholders.

Farmers from Barangay Butig, Lanao del Sur shared that the construction of the farm-to-market
road in their barangay had challenges but it provided them with better opportunities. For example, the
farmers were able to save up to 40% of hauling cost of their agricultural products and goods and made
them get their produce to the market faster and cheaper. Prior to the construction of the farm-to-market
road, the farmers had to travel to and from the nearest town by foot or horse, often on slippery and muddy
roads. This is precisely the kind of impact that this research intends to document.

Methodology

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Plaridel has a population of 107,805 in
2015. Plaridel was ranked 12th most populous among cities and municipalities in the province of
Bulacan. There were 53,646 men and 54,159 women in this group.

Agriculture is the main industry of the municipality with 83.81% of the land, or 39,080.50
hectares is used for agricultural production and employs at least 1,272 farmers. 18 out of 19 barangays in
Plaridel has rice farms, while all barangays have mango farms. Present agricultural support facilities
include rice mills, dryers, hand tractors, threshers and sprayers are in many barangays. These enables
farmers to perform their work in an efficient manner.

The farmers in Plaridel are also the biggest stakeholder in the construction of farm-to-market
roads as they are the sector who stands to gain the most benefit. Therefore, their perception on the farm-
to-market roads is the most important. This study will employ a descriptive research design to provide an
interpretation of the farmers’ perception on the farm-to-market roads. Data gathering for this research will
be done through a survey to understand the general opinion of the stakeholders on the farm-to-market
roads. A survey questionnaire will be distributed in-person or online to a sample group of farm-to-market
road users. Time-permitting, interviews or focus group discussions will also be initiated. Data collected
from the survey, interviews and focus group discussions will be assessed and analyzed through Statistical
Packages in Social Sciences (SPSS).

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 The study will also use a quantitative method to emphasize the statistical and numerical analysis
of the data to be collected from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and
Highways, and from the local government unit of Plaridel. This will focus on the criteria and guidelines
on the implementation of farm-to-market roads and includes determining where to build the farm-to-
market roads, the specifics on its length and width, and the volume of agricultural produce in the area of
implementation. It also seeks to explore if the project implementation criteria and guidelines are
responsive to the actual needs and supports the welfare of the stakeholders.

Expected Output

This research intends to document the impact of farm-to-market road projects in the municipality
of Plaridel, Bulacan. Unlike in Barangay Butig, Lanao del Sur, General Tino, Nueva Ecijia, and Plaridel,
Misamis Occidental, there is no study specific to our municipality.

There are four major outcomes that this research designs to achieve:

1. The farm-to-market roads lessened the transport time of agricultural products.

2. The farm-to-market roads lessened the operational expenses utilized by the farmers.
3. The farm-to-market roads assisted in the improvement of the shelf life of the agricultural
products.
4. The farm-to-market roads promoted the safe transport of the agricultural products.

For the first major outcome, the study will determine the transport time of the agricultural products
from production areas to the market since one of the hallmark features of farm-to-market road projects is
reduced travel time. The second major outcome will also follow as operational expenses are anticipated to
proportionally decrease. Post-harvest losses guarantee improved income for farmers and the improvement
of agricultural product’s shelf life is key for the third major outcome. Lastly, the safety of transport will
boost community growth.

Further, the final output of this research will provide substantial information to help the LGU manage
and regulate the construction and implementation of farm-to-market roads. This will also serve as a
feedback mechanism to national government agencies straight from stakeholders.

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References

Acheampong, E. O. (2016). Impact of Roads on Farm Size, Market Participation, and

Forest Cover Change in Rural Ghana. MPhil Thesis, James Cook University.
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Asian Development Bank. (2002) Impact of Rural Roads on Poverty Reduction: A Case
Study-Based Analysis [White paper]. ADB.
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Bani, A. (2016, May 3). Philippines: Farm-to-Market Road Provides Better Access for Rural
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Department of Agriculture, Office of the Secretary. (2020, May). Revised General

Guidelines on the Implementation of the Department of Agriculture Farm-to-
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Department of Agriculture, Revised General Guidelines on the Implementation of the

Department of Agriculture Farm-to-Market Roads Development Program,
Administrative Order No. 16 series of 2020 (May 6, 2020) (Phil.), https://www.da.gov.ph/wp-
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Department of Public Works and Highways, DPWH News. (2020, January). DPWH
completes new farm-to-market road to benefit farmers in Zamboanga del Norte. Retrieved from
https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/news/17998

Tecson Z. (2022, February 17). Farm-to-market road makes life easier for N. Ecija farmers.
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