BALER, Aurora (PIA) — Farmers and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Barangay Cozo, Casiguran, Aurora will soon gain improved access to markets and essential services following the approval of a farm-to-market road project under the Department of Agriculture (DA) Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up.
The ₱110-million Cozo-Agues farm-to-market road rehabilitation project supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agricultural modernization agenda, which aims to strengthen rural connectivity, improve the movement of agricultural goods, and expand economic opportunities in geographically isolated communities.
Aurora Assistant Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Jovenal Namoro said the project will reduce travel time for transporting agricultural commodities from 56 minutes to 13.647 minutes, lowering logistics and hauling costs while strengthening market linkages.
“And hopefully higher farmgate prices for agricultural commodities, increased farmer income, improved access to essential services, and expanded livelihood opportunities for IPs, farming communities, fisherfolk, and other beneficiaries,” Namoro added.
The Central Luzon Regional Project Advisory Board approved the 4.55-kilometer project on June 8, 2026.
About 2,204 residents within the project’s 1,264-hectare road influence area are expected to benefit from the subproject, including 700 Indigenous Peoples from the Agta communities in Sitios Dipontian, Dimaguipo, and Agues.
The road will also serve a predominantly agricultural area covering 442 hectares of coconut plantations and 37 hectares of rice fields, benefiting about 1,400 farmers
Farmers and IPs will likewise gain better access to education, healthcare, government services, and livelihood opportunities through the project.
The Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up Central Luzon Regional Project Advisory Board approves the 4.55-kilometer Cozo-Agues farm-to-market road rehabilitation project in Barangay Cozo, Casiguran, Aurora. With this infrastructure, farmers and Indigenous Peoples will soon gain improved access to markets and essential services. (DA-PRDP)
Meanwhile, Barangay Cozo Chairperson Emelita Curitana expressed gratitude to President Marcos Jr. and the DA-PRDP Scale-Up for supporting infrastructure projects that address the needs of remote communities and support local development.
She noted that farmers often struggle to bring products such as rice, ube, coconut, and corn to market, affecting both transport efficiency and product quality.
Curitana furthered that their community currently relies on improvised vehicles to transport goods to the town proper.
“The mountainside road becomes difficult to traverse during the rainy season because the area turns muddy, resulting in longer travel times and higher transport costs,” she said.
The DA-PRDP Scale-Up will finance 70 percent of the project cost, while the national government and the Provincial Government of Aurora will provide 10 percent and 20 percent counterpart funding, respectively.
This program forms part of the Marcos Jr. administration’s push to modernize agriculture through strategic rural infrastructure investments implemented in partnership with the World Bank from 2023 to 2029.
In addition to infrastructure, the program also supports institutional development, strategic planning, and enterprise development initiatives.
Once completed, the Cozo-Agues farm-to-market road is expected to provide a safer and more efficient transport route for agricultural goods while strengthening connectivity for remote farming and Indigenous communities in Aurora. (CLJD/MAT, PIA Region 3-Aurora)
