BUTUAN CITY — More than a thousand Manobo indigenous farmers in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur are expected to benefit from newly constructed farm-to-market roads that will improve access to markets, schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential services while supporting agricultural productivity in their ancestral domain.

The infrastructure projects, with a combined investment of ₱58.5 million, include the concreting of the 1.1-kilometer Purok 8–Nahikyad-Tambonon Farm-to-Market Road worth ₱21.4 million and the 2.4-kilometer Lower Bagyang–Upper Bagyang Farm-to-Market Road valued at ₱37.1 million.

The road projects primarily serve Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities within Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 116, home to the Manobo tribe in San Miguel. CADT 116 is among the five priority ancestral domains identified in the Caraga Region under the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), covering more than 129,000 hectares and benefiting approximately 47,000 Indigenous Peoples.

Implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in partnership with the Provincial Government of Surigao del Sur, the ₱6.6-billion World Bank-funded MIADP seeks to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and improve market access for organized Indigenous farmers and fisherfolk across selected ancestral domains in Mindanao.

Better Market Access for Indigenous Farmers

According to Datu Rico Maca, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative of San Miguel, the new roads will significantly improve the transportation of agricultural products and reduce travel time to trading centers.

"These vital infrastructure projects are game changers for the Manobo communities of Bagyang and Bolhoon. They will provide faster, safer, and easier access to markets, especially for our farmers," Maca said.

He noted that approximately 800 hectares of farmland in the two barangays are planted with abaca, coconut, banana, and corn, with more than 90 percent of local Indigenous residents relying on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood.

Maca added that over 1,000 Indigenous farmers view the farm-to-market roads as vital infrastructure that will help increase farm productivity, improve household incomes, and connect their ancestral communities to broader economic opportunities while preserving their cultural heritage.

Improving Education and Healthcare Access

Local tribal leaders also emphasized the broader social benefits of the road projects beyond agriculture.

Datu Bislao Aly Montenegro, chairperson of the Indigenous Peoples Organization under CADT 116, said the improved roads will provide children and young people with safer and more convenient access to schools, helping reduce absenteeism and school dropout rates.

Meanwhile, Datu Subang Arnold Acebedo, municipal tribal chieftain of San Miguel, highlighted the importance of the roads in ensuring faster emergency response and easier access to health centers and other essential public services.

Strengthening Inclusive Rural Development

The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo, together with DA-Caraga Executive Director Ricardo Oñate Jr., Surigao del Sur Provincial Administrator John Vincent Pimentel, and San Miguel Mayor Michael Corilla.

The farm-to-market road projects form part of the government's continuing efforts to promote inclusive rural development, strengthen Indigenous Peoples' communities, enhance agricultural competitiveness, and improve the quality of life in ancestral domains across Mindanao.

NPO News Team I PNA-PR