In line with the issuance of Executive Order No. 21-56 Series of 2021, an Executive Order Re-Organizing the Negros Occidental Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU), the Department of Agriculture- Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office 6 (RPCO 6) and Project Support Office (PSO) Visayas, conducted a Re-Orientation and Retooling Activity in Negros Residences, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on February 7-8, 2022.

“As we work together to attain the PRDP’s objectives alongside our LGUs as local government partners, we must be properly organized and equipped to operate on our level. Hence, this activity serves as proof of our strong resolve to maximize all resources and mechanisms available to further the welfare and development of the province’s agricultural sector,” said Provincial Governor Eugenio V. Lacson during his speech.

He further emphasized the importance of continuous pursuit of learning in order to deliver quality service and consequently provide people with resources to improve their quality of life.

“While it is true that the implementation of the projects of the I-BUILD and I-REAP have proved to be successful, we should not cease from learning and re-learning, re-organizing, re-orienting, and retooling to improve our capacities, optimize the opportunity provided by the PRDP to make better the course of agriculture, and to improve the quality of life of the Negrense farmers through the provision of key infrastructures, facilities, technology and information to raise incomes, productivity, and competitiveness,” stressed Lacson.

With the conduct of the retooling activity, Deputy Project Director of PSO Visayas Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo, encouraged the Province to consistently work for the approval of their project proposals so these projects may be able to get included for funding under the Second Additional Financing (AF2).

“Right now, we have various subprojects that are being prioritized in here which hopefully, you could consistently work on and be able to have them issued with No Objection Letter 1 (NOL 1) especially your proposed slaughterhouses, so they may be able to get included under the AF2,” said Barrogo.

Meanwhile, Engr. Moises D. Mana-ay, Deputy Project Director of RPCO 6, led the presentation of the basic information about PRDP, followed by the introduction of processes per component namely, I-BUILD, I-REAP, and I-PLAN Components, and unit presentations such as Procurement, Social and Environmental Safeguards, Finance, Economics Team, Monitoring and Evaluation, Geo-mapping and Governance, and InfoACE made by their respective representatives.

The two-day activity aims to provide the newly-designated team led by its new head, Atty. Rayfrando P. Diaz II, with information about the project, its convergence with other government initiatives, project development objectives, and its processes or framework. (April Grace Padilla, RPCO 6, Writer)