A REHABILITATED 3.7-kilometer farm-to-market road in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija has recently been completed and is seen to improve market access for upland farmers as well as support reforestation activities in the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve. The project was funded as part of the 9.2-billion yen (about P4.5 billion) loan agreement between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the Forestland Management Project (FMP). “The road 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,” JICA Senior Representative Yo Ebisawa said in a statement. FMP is a community-based reforestation and forestland management initiative in three of the country’s river basins, namely: Upper Magat and Cagayan in Pampanga, and Jalaur in Iloilo Province. The program covers infrastructure development, and conservation and development activities such as capacity building of communities for the rehabilitation of watershed.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR