TWO consultants from World Bank (WB) are in Iloilo City on Wednesday to inspect the implementation of the biggest and longest farm-to-market road (FMR) they are funding to bring forth economic growth in the province’s sole component city.
The concreting of 28-kilometer Imbang Grande-Tagubong-Gemumua-Agahon FMR in Passi City, which costs P257.8-million, is under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture.
Engineers Raoul Azanza of I-BUILD, a component of PRDP, and Jonas Bautista of social environmental safeguard traversed about 25 kilometers from the city proper to reach the farthest village of Gemumua Agahon and Salngan to hold a public dialogue.
“They asked the villagers randomly if they were consulted prior to the implementation. They wanted to ensure if we followed the process and based on their public dialogue, there were no adverse reactions,” reported Provincial Planning Officer Mila Dellomo.
Dellomo, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, representing Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., and Passi City Mayor Jesry Palmares accompanied the consultants and other officials of PRDP National Project Coordinating Office in Metro Manila to the project site as part of WB’s 2nd Implementation Support Mission for PRDP.
Dellomo said the villagers were grateful for WB’s project.
“There is this one resident who told the consultants that he is no longer expecting remuneration from the trees and other infrastructure affected by the road in his property because for him, it is his share to make the project happen,” Dellomo added. (Jezza Nepomoceno)