A new 8.7-kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR) is set to improve transportation and market access for farming communities in Barangay Maan, Tboli, South Cotabato, following the groundbreaking of the Maan-Datal Tablo FMR on August 13, 2026.
Implemented under the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Scale-Up, the project has a total cost of ₱218.5 million and will feature a 5.0-meter-wide concrete pavement designed to provide a more reliable and climate-resilient route for communities within the project area.
The road will serve an agricultural area where coconut, cassava, cacao, and coffee are among the major commodities. Improved road access is expected to ease transportation difficulties, reduce the cost of moving agricultural products, strengthen connectivity, and improve farmers’ access to markets and essential services.
DA-PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) XII Project Director John B. Pascual, together with RPCO XII staff, joined Tboli Mayor Keo Dayle T. Tuan, Vice-Mayor Ronie L. Dela Peña, and some local government personnel during the groundbreaking ceremony. Pascual highlighted the project’s potential to address the transportation challenges experienced by communities in the area.
“This project will bring significant benefits to the farming communities here, especially since I have seen firsthand how difficult it is to travel along this road. We expect transportation costs for agricultural products to decrease, access to the area to improve, and residents to have an easier time accessing both private and government services,” Pascual said.
For the local government, the project fulfills a long-standing aspiration of the community and is expected to benefit thousands of residents.
“We are very grateful that our long-awaited dream of having the road in Barangay Maan concreted is finally becoming a reality,” Mayor Tuan said. “The approximately 8,000 people in the community will no longer have to struggle as much, because this project will greatly help improve their daily lives.”
Beyond providing concrete pavement, the Maan-Datal Tablo FMR is expected to strengthen the connection between farms and markets by providing farmers with a more dependable route for transporting their produce.
With the groundbreaking now marking the start of the project’s implementation, the road is poised to become a vital link for agricultural communities in Maan, helping move products, connect residents, and bring essential services and economic opportunities within easier reach. ### (Ian Frederick Carbonell)
DA-PRDP RPCO XII Project Director John B. Pascual, Tboli local government officials, and project stakeholders come together during the groundbreaking of the ₱218.5-million Maan-Datal Tablo Farm-to-Market Road in Barangay Maan, Tboli, South Cotabato. The 8.7-kilometer road is expected to improve connectivity, ease the transport of agricultural products, and provide better access to markets and essential services for local communities