MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture – Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (DA-MIADP) Regional Project Coordination Office 10 (RPCO 10) held a groundbreaking ceremony on February 10, 2026, for its first infrastructure subproject in the Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain (AD)

The 1.184-kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR), with a total budget of ₱17,008,435.87, will connect Sitio Damitan and Sitio Ulangohon in Barangay Dalwangan, marking the start of the project’s full-scale implementation in the region.

The two-lane FMR officially began construction on February 6 and is expected to be completed within 195 working days. The project is projected to benefit 244 households and improve the transport of key commodities such as coffee, banana, abaca, and corn.

During the event, DA-MIADP Project Support Office (PSO) Project Director Macario D. Gonzaga underscored the project’s commitment to delivering community-responsive interventions.

He said, “Kini nga Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) gituman ug gitumong aron makatabang sa atong mga igsuon nga IP farmers nga dugay nang naglisod sa paghatod sa ilang mga produkto ngadto sa merkado tungod sa kalisod sa dalan ug mga sapa nga ilang tabokon.”

Gonzaga added that the FMR offers hope for more stable economic opportunities and encouraged residents to actively monitor the construction as primary beneficiaries.

Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran expressed the city government’s full support, emphasizing the need for indigenous communities to boost agricultural productivity to sustain the investment.

“Importante kaayo nga mapalambo nato atong produksyon kay kini nga proyekto gi-loan ug kinahanglan mabayaran pinaagi sa pagpalambo sa atong economic activity,” he said.

DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) Regional Executive Director and DA-MIADP RPCO 10 Project Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan likewise lauded the strong coordination between the local government and the Daraghuyan community.

He said, “Mapasalamaton kami sa kusog nga pakigtambayayong, labi na sa Daraghuyan AD. Tungod niini, nasugdan na ang FMR. Na-appreciate namo ang kusog nga suporta sa lokal nga panggamhanan sa Malaybalay nga nakapadali sa pagpatuman niini.”

Pacamalan added that the department remains committed to uplifting Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) in Bukidnon.

In her response, Bae Inatlawan expressed gratitude for the development, saying, “Namunga ug namulak gayud ang atong pagpaningkamot. Dili lang unta diri taman ang paningkamot sa tribu kay basin muabot ang panahon nga ang Daraghuyan mahimong modelo dinhi sa Malaybalay ug sa probinsya sa Bukidnon.”

The ceremony was attended by key officials from the City Local Government Unit (CLGU) of Malaybalay and the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Bukidnon, represented by Provincial IPMR Datu Makayuba Renato Sumbongan.

Representatives from national government agencies, including the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), were also present, along with leaders from the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) and the Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO) of the Daraghuyan AD. (K. Chan-MIADP 10/ melbmadera)

Officials from the Department of Agriculture – Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (DA-MIADP) Regional Project Coordination Office 10 lead the groundbreaking ceremony on February 10, 2026 for its first ₱17-million farm-to-market road subproject in the Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain, Barangay Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. (DA-MIADP 10)