October 23, 2015

The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Intensified Building up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) and Social and Environmental Safeguards once again call for the Construction Supervision Team and Contractor’s team’s adherence to the policies and guidelines of the Project for a successful PRDP implementation in Bicol.

This sums up the result of the Joint PSO-RPCO Site Inspection of On-going PRDP I-BUILD sub-projects conducted by the Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) V and Project Support Office South Luzon to sub-projects (SPs) with No Objection Letter 2 (NOL 2) in Oas, Albay, Pasacao and Libmanan, Camarines Sur. The site inspection was conducted by RPCO V Senior Rural Infrastructure Engineer (RIE) Zosimo D. Ordas Jr., Engr. Rodolfo P. Mirasol, Engr. Eliseo B. Buella Jr., Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Specialist Engr. Eros Jerswin V. Oñate, PSO South Luzon I-BUILD Component Head Engr. Allan C. Tatierra, RIE Rishel B. Peñara and SES Officer Liwayway C. Violeta on October 21-22, 2015.

The site inspectionwas intended to monitor the progress of on-going I-BUILD SPs as well as validate and address quality and workmanship issues on the ground particularly the actions taken on the surveillance and safeguards compliance monitoring reports for 2014 road SPs in Camarines Sur, which were temporarily suspended pending the rectifications of I-BUILD and SES concerns.

Ordas reminded the Construction Supervision Teams and contractors of Albay and Camarines Sur to follow the standard reporting format and the use of the  corresponding forms in documenting their daily and monthly construction progress. He also underscored the importance of manpower deployment and equipment mobilization at the construction site. Meanwhile, Tatierra reminded them to check and ensure that the construction materials to be used passed the required test before proceeding with the construction activities. Specifically, he instructed the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit of Camarines Sur to submit a detailed report and supporting documents on actions taken to rectify the findings of safeguards and workmanship issues on the aforementioned SPs. Violeta, on the other hand, urged them to comply with SES requirements especially on occupational health and safety, hiring and compensation of local laborers, batching plant installation, and grievance redress mechanism.

Ordas and Violeta stressed the importance of adherence to PRDP’s policy and guidelines for a successfulproject implementation in the region.

Ordas added that the RPCO V I-BUILD team is committed to live by its mandate to monitor the quality assurance and guarantee that quality control of PRDP SPs in Bicol will be maintained.

Engr. MeneleoGigantone, project manager of Legazpi Premium Development Corp. in charge of the SP in Oas, Albay, guaranteed that they will give their best efforts to complete the project on time or ahead of time. Meanwhile, PPMIU-Camarines Sur I-BUILD Component Head Renz Gonzalo S. Refe assured that his team will continue to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and with the contractor, MARCBILT Construction, to comply with the PRDP standards.

As of September 30, 2015, Bicol has four I-BUILD SPs with NOL 2 worth P422,030,096.91, six SPs with NOL 1 amounting to P686,062,000, and 15 proposed SPs with an aggregate amount of P686,062,000. Processing of Camarines Sur’s I-BUILD SPs were put on hold, pending the compliance of Pasacao, Libmanan and Sipocot SPs as a result of the Management Meeting held on September 22, 2015.

I-BUILD is one of the four major components of PRDP aimed at developing a strategic network of climate-proof rural infrastructures and facilities in project areas along the value chain. PRDP is a six-year project worth P27.48 billion designed to establish an inclusive, market-oriented, and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector using science-based tools and innovations including VCA, Vulnerability and Suitability Assessment (VSA), Expanded VSA (e-VSA), Geomapping, and Geotagging.(Annielyn L. Baleza, I-SUPPORTInfoACE Unit, DA-RAFIS 5)

RPCO V Senior Rural Infrastructure Engineer Zosimo D. Ordas Jr. takes geotagged photos of the equipment and manpower mobilization at the construction site of the Rehabilitation/Improvement of Pistola-Tablon Road with 3 units Bridges in Oas, Albay.

The RPCO V and PSO South Luzon I-BUILD and SES team meet with Camarines Sur’s Construction Supervision Team and Contractor’s Team in Brgy. Odicon, Pasacao, Camarines Sur to get reports about the actions taken following the September 22 Management Meeting which put their I-BUILD SPs on-hold.

The RPCO V and PSO South Luzon I-BUILD team validate the progress of the Rehabilitation of San Isidro-Pag-Oring Nuevo Farm to Market Road in Libmanan, Camarines Sur during the Joint PSO-RPCO Site Inspection of On-going PRDP I-BUILD sub-projects on October 22, 2015.