The Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) BARMM met with the Project Support Office (PSO) Mindanao and the Province of  Maguindanao through their Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) to discuss in detail matters related to the implementation of subprojects in their autonomous region.

With the upcoming funding under the Additional Financing-2 and European grant (AF2-EU), the three key players convened in order to fast-track subproject implementation by addressing some issues and concerns at the ground level, as well as to bridge the gap in implementing the subprojects.

PRDP Project Director Ricardo M. Oñate Jr. started the meeting with a welcome message to the participants as well as an appraisal of the status of BARMM’s implementation of PRDP subprojects.

First among the day’s discussions was the status of the “Goat Multiplication, Fattening and Marketing” subproject in Barangay Maslabeng, Buluan, Maguindanao which is an enterprise subproject worth P2.2 million pesos. Queries raised by the Province of Maguindanao were addressed by both the RPCO and PSO after which they were able to set an agreed timeline for implementation and come up with resolutions to push the subproject forward to completion.

In coming up with a resolution, considerations were made on the impact of PRDP’s subprojects to the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) or RPCO portfolio and performance, their impact to the PLGU’s delivery of agri services, observance of legal standards, and cost efficiency of proposed options.

Also inncluded in the day’s discussions were the pipelined subprojects for the upcoming AF2-EU including the timeline for processing and submission of documents to be submitted to the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO).

Present during the activity were representatives from the different PRDP components and units from RPCO BARMM headed by Deputy Project Director Ammal D. Solaiman, JD, and from PSO Mindanao headed by Deputy Project Director Noel T. Provido, and representatives from the PLGU Maguindanao headed by PPMIU Alternate Head Engr. Nulfarid Ampatuan.

As part of their ways forward, they emphasized the importance of constant communication and follow up from the PLGU to the RPCO up to the PSO level to ensure that all documents are complied in order to avoid further delays in implementing the project. 

The $280 million Second Additional Financing with EUR18.3 million E.U. Co-financing grant (AF2-EU) was signed by the Philippine government on July 19, 2021 and is expected to take effect a maximum of 90 days at the latest from the date of the signing of the Loan Agreement. Included in the AF2-EU is the expansion of the DA-PRDP’s implementation efforts in Mindanao, covering conflict-affected areas, areas with Indigenous People (IP), fourth to sixth class Local Government Units (LGUs), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). (JOY M. MONTECALVO| PSO MIN)