Five farm-to-market road sub-projects have been completed in the Municipality of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao through the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD FO CAR) under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Peace and Development Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) modality.
With a total project cost of ₱8.78 million, the completed sub-projects include the improvement of key farm-to-market roads located in Barangays Caragasan, Kiling, San Quintin, Little Tadian, and Sta. Maria. These projects were completed ahead of schedule, before the target completion date of 30 October 2025. The DSWD grant amounted to ₱6 million, complemented by local government contributions worth ₱2.79 million from both the municipal and barangay levels.
The improved roads now benefit 3,377 households, providing safer and faster access for farmers and residents. With agriculture as the main livelihood in Alfonso Lista, the community identified farm-to-market roads as their priority sub-projects to reduce post-harvest losses, cut transport costs, and make essential services more accessible.
For many residents, the project has transformed daily life in the upland barangays.
“Idi, narigat a makadanon dagiti serbisyo ti gobyerno ditoy gapu iti kasasaad ti dalan. Ita, saanen a mabubulok dagiti ani mi ta nalakaen nga iyawid dagiti produkto mi iti merkado. Daytoy a kalsada ket agserserbi met a patuyuan ti ani nu tiempo ti panag-ani, isu nga dakkel unay ti tulong na kadakami,” (Before, government services had difficulty reaching us because of the poor condition of the road. Now, our harvests no longer spoil in the fields because we can easily bring them to the market. This road also serves as a drying area during harvest season, which is a great help to us,) shared Gizelle Cholhang, a community volunteer from Barangay Kiling.
Women volunteers also took an active role in the implementation.
“Gapu iti KALAHI-CIDSS, naipakita mi nga kaya met dagiti babae ti aramid dagiti lalaki. Adda maysa nga aldaw nga dagiti babae laeng ti immay nga nagtrabaho, ngem natapos latta ti target mi. Naipakita mi nga nu agkaykaysa dagiti babae, kaya da a mangaramid iti narigat a trabaho. Dakkel a tulong ti KALAHI-CIDSS ta inted na kadakami ti oportunidad a makitunos, makiambag, ken makapakita nga adda ti pateg dagiti kababaihan iti panagdur-as ti ili,” (Through KALAHI-CIDSS, we were able to show that women are also capable of doing what men can do. There was one day when only women came to work, yet we still finished our target. We proved that when women work together, they can accomplish even the toughest tasks. KALAHI-CIDSS gave us the opportunity to unite, contribute, and show that women have an important role in the progress of our community,”) Barangay Caragasan community volunteer Jennifer T. Cholhang said.
Since 2016, DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS has built a total of nine access roads in Alfonso Lista, bringing lasting benefits to 5,374 households through improved mobility, access to services, and livelihood opportunities. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Social Marketing Officer III
