Hedcor builds farm-to-market road for abaca farmers

“WITH  abaca  bundled-strips on our back, we walk barefooted from our house up  to  the  market  before”,  said 66-year old Mang Herenio Ante. Ante, an abaca  farmer  for 49 years in Barangay Tibolo, Davao del Sur, lives 15 kms away  from  the  market of Brgy Kapatagan. Bimonthly, he sells his abaca to the market, for 20 to 30 pesos per kilo depending of its quality.
During  the construction of the 42.5 MW Sibulan plants until its commercial operations,  a  total  of 48 kms of access road is developed, including the farm-to-market  road  in  which it is most advantageous both for Hedcor and for  abaca  farmers. In addition to that, Hedcor developed a bridge worth P 2.2  million  at Sitio Tudaya and worth half-a-million pesos to neighboring sitios.
“Bisan  ang kabayo, maglisod pud og baktas diri sa among lugar kadtong wala pa ang Hedcor tungod sa kalapok ug maot nga agianan. (Even the horse had to suffer  walking  in  our  place during the time when Hedcor is not yet here because of the muddy and nasty byway.)”, Ante said.
Abaca  is one of the most in demand products of the market nowadays because of  its  unique  characteristics  and  quality.  Abaca  tree  significantly produces water and is also advantage in the river bank preservation.
“Before,  if the horse can transport our products, horse’s owner charged us P2  per kilo of abaca as our fare to them. But, now we only pay P1 per kilo of abaca by the means of motorcycle to transport our products to the market for only P1 per kilo of abaca”, Ante explained.
Farmers  have  suffered  a  lot  before  Hedcor  came.  Everyday, they have struggled to cross the jungle, aslope, muddy, and nasty way.
“Hedcor  have aided much the residences here, especially our livelihood and our day to day life becomes more convenient”, Ante added.
Last  month  through Hedcor’s initiative, some 90 farmers availed the abaca farming  training  conducted  by  the  experts  from  the  Fiber  Industry Development  Authority  (FIDA) at Sta. Cruz. They acquired knowledge on the proper  cultural  management  of  abaca,  updated  on  the  trends in abaca industry  and  they  were trained to develop personal values, interpersonal relationship and commitment to the welfare of community.
An addition of three kilometers of road will be constructed for the Hedcor’s upcoming 13.6 MW Tudaya Hydropower project also in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.