Tramlines to benefit farmers in city's mountain barangays

CEBU, Philippines - The construction of two tramlines in the upland barangays of Tabunan and Sudlon II has benefited close to 100 farmers because it makes much easier for them to bring down their farm crops to the nearest farm-to-market roads.

Cebu City agriculturist Julito Baclayon said a “tramline” is a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel used as railway that are installed from the elevated part of the mountain along which cable cars carrying farm crops will be brought down.”

“Ang gibutangan niining duha ka tramlines nahimutang sa dapit nga lisud g’yud kaayo ang pag-transport sa mga farm crops tungod sa kabakilid sa bukid,” Baclayon said, adding that the tramlines are already being used by the farmers since last month.

The tramline that is presently constructed in Barangay Tabunan has a length of 850 linear meters, while the one in Sudlon II is about 730 meter long. The project cost the national government P3.7 million.

Baclayon said the tramline can carry 250 kilos of cargo at one time and it is powered by motors which are now being taken cared by the farmers’ association in the two barangays.

According to him, the tramlines were constructed through a grant from the national government through the Bureau of Post Harvest Research and Extension.

The city agriculturist said he is also requesting for four more tramlines to be constructed in each of the barangays of Taptap and Adlaon, and two in Barangay Tagbao.

Interviewed by the reporters at the City Hall yesterday, Baclayon said he wishes that the government will allow the cultivation of some idle public lands in the mountains for vegetables and other crops.

But Baclayon is worried because he observed that the number of farmers in the hinterlands of the city is diminishing because their children are not interested in farming.

He supports the proposal to give scholarship to the children of farmers who want to take agriculture course to encourage them to work in the farms. — (FREEMAN)