(A newly rehabilitated 3.7-kilometer farm-to-market road in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, which was funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency, is now open. JICA)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) opened a newly rehabilitated 3.7-kilometer farm-to-market road in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
This is part of efforts to boost market access of about 350 upland farmers and support reforestation activities in the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve.
“This road is a subproject of an ongoing 9.2 billion yen loan agreement between JICA and DENR under the Forestland Management Project (FMP),” JICA Senior Representative Yo Ebisawa said.
“It is vital in helping the communities and people’s organizations in reforestation activities of the denuded portions of the watershed, including reducing costs and travel time in hauling the seedlings to the planting site,” the official added.
FMP is a community-based reforestation and forestland management initiative in three of the country’s river basins: Upper Magat and Cagayan, Pampanga, and Jalaur in Iloilo Province.
Aside from infrastructure, FMP also integrates conservation and development activities such as capacity building of people’s organizations and communities in rehabilitating the watersheds.
