The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in Bicol gained the support of a private sector in the Province of Camarines Sur to boost the efficiency of the agriculture sector in the region. During the Investment Forum and PRDP Scale-Up Orientation to Local Government Units in Camarines Sur, Kristan Karl Malazarte, president of the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI), expressed his support to the DA-PRDP Scale-Up, the expanded version of the DA-PRDP which would engage the private sector to attain value-adding and increased market access. 

“We’ve seen the government implement projects before and we believe it can be more efficient. Maganda po ang theme ng DA-PRDP Scale-Up. We need efficiency. I think this is a step in the right direction because our agriculture sector has a lot to catch up to. The Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry will always support,” he said.    

Banking on the lessons gained in implementing the original Project, the DA-PRDP is pursuing productive collaboration with the private sector as either partners, co-managers or co-implementers of subproject interventions under the DA-PRDP Scale-Up. The DA-PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol is conducting a series of investment forums and DA-PRDP Scale-Up orientation to local government units (LGUs) and private sectors regionwide. 

Seven LGUs in Camarines Sur attended the second leg of the activity, which was held in DA Compound in Pili, Camarines Sur on January 30, 2024. DA-PRDP National and Local Level Planning Component (I-PLAN) Project Development Associate (PDA) Ermar De la Cruz, Rural Infrastructure Engineer Joshua Roland Remon, Geographic Information System (GIS) Officer Engineer Joel Catimbang, and Business Development Officer Glenn Balana oriented the participants on the DA-PRDP Scale-Up’s framework, eligibility requirements, process flow, potential interventions, and financing mix.

LGUs and farmers and fishers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Camarines Sur are encouraged to submit Letter of Intent to avail of rural infrastructure and enterprise investments to support the province’s priority commodities namely cassava, coco sap sugar, abaca, pili, native chicken, taro leaves, dairy cattle and swine commodities for funding under DA-PRDP Scale-Up. Meanwhile, the private sector may forge partnerships with the LGU or the FCAs by providing parallel financing, capacity building, technologies and markets for DA-PRDP Scale-Up enterprise’s agri-fishery products. They may also serve as co-managers of enterprise development (I-REAP) subprojects like common service facilities including cold storage, processing centers, and warehouses. 

DA-PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol Deputy Project Director Adelina Losa urged the participants to take advantage of this World Bank-assisted Project that can elevate the status of their agri-fishery communities. She also underscored that DA-PRDP Scale-Up puts premium on the quality and timeliness of proponents’ Letter of Intent (LOI) and proposal submissions, subject to DA-PRDP Scale-Up’s prioritization scheme.

The DA-PRDP Scale-Up is a special project being implemented by the DA that aims to develop the country’s agri-fishery sector by addressing the gaps in the commodity value chains. It will be implemented from 2023 to 2029. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit/DA RAFIS V)