Following the Department of Agriculture’s directive to institutionalize the processes of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), Regional Project Coordination Office XIII’s (RPCO 13) I-REAP component and Project Support Office (PSO) Mindanao conducted an orientation on I-REAP’s Operations Manual and the PRDP Scale-Up on January 31 – February 1, 2023 at Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.

In line with the mainstreaming activities already conducted in 2023, the orientation aims to capacitate and strengthen coordination between the RPCO and Provincial Project Management and Implementing Units (PPMIU) and City Project Management and Implementing Units (CPMIU). It also aims to mainstream I-REAP’s implementation processes and procedures to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga regular staff.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Project Director Jodel A. Tabada dubbed I-REAP and the enterprises it supports as the ‘heart’ of the project, emphasizing how the links between subprojects should always lead back to its Proponent Groups (PG).

In order to mainstream PRDP processes into DA regular operations, the activity tackled the I-REAP implementation process, the I-REAP operations manual, I-REAP eligibility requirements, and Civil Society Organization (CSO) accreditation.

The two-day activity, which was held a day after the culmination of the PRDP Scale-Up Preparation Mission with the World Bank, also tackled the upcoming PRDP Scale-Up. In line with this, Project Support Office (PSO) I-REAP Component Head Ronnie John M. Yulo described the component’s importance of an ‘inter-provincial and inter-regional approach.

RPCO 13 I-REAP Component Head Ms. Lynn A. Pareñas, who provided updates on the implementation of I-REAP subprojects, emphasized ‘the great task ahead’ with the PRDP Scale-Up. She mentions, however, that it is heartening to see all the provinces well-represented and ready to face this task head-on. #(Nichole L. Talatala | RPCO 13)