K’tam Bridge. The hauling cost of produce from farm to markets does not cause worry anymore to farmers and vegetable growers in Barangay K’tam in Asuncion, Davao del Norte with the construction of their bridge early last year as part of the DA-MRDP’s rural infrastructure component. Transportation time was also cut in half, as loading trucks that directly collect farm produce are provided with a shorter route, according to residents. Rural infra projects under MRDP should be completed by June this year. (Photo by Noel Provido) LGUs, contractors urged to fast track MRDP infra projects
Davao City — The Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) is set to fast track the completion of rural infrastructure projects by June this year with the Program expected to end by December 2014.
“As MRDP implementation is nearing its homestretch, we urge all contractors and concern LGUs to fast track project construction and must ensure that it will be completed before June 2014,” said DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala during the kick-off meeting of the 11th World Bank Review Mission meeting last week.
“We are also reminding LGUs and contractors engaged in the program of their commitment to finish the project on the agreed timeline otherwise they should complete the remaining works at their own expense,” Alcala added.
Contractors that have pending engagements with MRDP will not be allowed to participate in upcoming projects under the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), which is expected to commence this year once MRDP ends.
“They (contractors) have to ensure the project is 100% completed before they can enter into another contract with PRDP. This will be an outstanding requirement,” said Carolina Figueroa-Geron, World Bank Lead Rural Development Specialist and PRDP Task Team Leader.
The PRDP is the upscale version of MRDP where focus is geared towards an inclusive, value-chain oriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.
A total of Php4.51 billion worth of rural infrastructure subprojects have been completed in various provinces in Mindanao. This consists of farm-to-market roads, single-lane bridges, the construction and rehabilitation of communal irrigation facilities, potable water supply (PWS) systems and postharvest facilities.
“The rural infrastructure component is a priority intervention of MRDP because this enhances the productivity of our farmlands and instrumental in linking our farmers to the markets where we can sell their produce,” said MRDP Program Director Lealyn Ramos.
Ramos added that the partnership with the local government units is critical in the completion of MRDP projects as they act as lead implementers.
The project also needs to be geo-tagged as part of the requirement in the procurement and implementation process. This requires the uploading of necessary information related to the subproject for transparency and purposes of monitoring and supervision.
The projects are also evaluated if it adheres to safety and environmental standards (SES) to ensure that the subproject does not adversely affect the people and the environment.
As of March 2014, the Program has attained 85.81 percent physical accomplishment.
Around 855 kilometers of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) have been completed costing Php1.96 billion while a total of 466 kilometers are under various stages of construction and completion.
Around 16 bridges have been completed with a total of 496.2 linear meters amounting to Php156.74 million. Ten more bridges are in the various stages of completion.
Reports also show that the communal irrigation system/project (CIS/P) has covered 2,242 hectares of rice lands amounting to Php116.71 million.
MRDP is a five-year special project under the Department of Agriculture (DA) and jointly funded by the World Bank, the national government and the LGUs.
Aside from infrastructure, the Program also implements livelihood and natural resource management projects covering 225 towns and 26 provinces across Mindanao. (Jay Rosas/DA-MRDP)
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