The Kiangan Municipal Local Government can now proceed with the bidding of the Improvement of Lamka-Mappit Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) subproject, after officially receiving the green light from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Scale-up.

Proposed in support of the local coffee and banana industries, the subproject will provide convenient and safe access for the farmers and residents along the FMR as they transport their products. The subproject also intends to revive deserted coffee and banana production areas.

The FMR subproject, which spans 6.6 kilometers, will link barangays Baguinge and Duit in the municipality of Kiangan and barangay Panubtuban in the municipality of Asipulo. It has a total project cost of PhP169.58 million and is expected to benefit 1,318 households or 6,455 individuals within its influence area.

On November 6th of 2023, Kiangan Mayor Raldis Bulayungan received an eligibility certification for having successfully complied with all the requirements for their subproject proposal on the improvement of the said FMR. The certification was awarded during the ceremonial launching of DA’s three core projects under the World Bank — the PRDP Scale-up, the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), and the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, held in Quezon City.

With the issuance of No Objection Letter 1, preliminary activities are set to be conducted to orient LGU Kiangan on the World Bank Harmonized Procurement Guidelines as well as the preparation of the Implementation Management Agreement (IMA), which comprises implementation arrangements and specific guidelines for PRDP-funded subprojects within a given period, including the schedule of fund releases and liquidation reports. 

The Improvement of Lamka-Mappit FMR is the first infrastructure subproject that was approved for DA-PRDP Scale-up funding in the Cordillera. ### Elvy T. Estacio (DA-PRDP RPCO-CAR Writer)