October 30, 2015

After obtaining a satisfactory rating from the evaluators of the 1^st World Bank Implementation Support Mission held last August, the Bicol team of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) South Luzon cluster commits to sustain if not surpass its accomplishments and support the National Project Coordination Office’s (NPCO) request for additional financing.

This was expressed by Dr. Elena B. De los Santos, Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Technical Director and Deputy Project Director, during the 2^nd Coordination Meeting held on October 28-29, 2015 in Quezon City. She also discussed the actions plans of the region which include hiring additional staff to enterprise development, monitoring and evaluation (M & E), and reviewing and validating sub-project (SP) proposals. The region also commits to designate provincial coordinators from the infrastructure development group to be responsible in generating reports on SPs’ status. In addition, RPCO V will fast track the conduct of training on proponent group profiling and mapping. While waiting for the procurement of vehicles for PRDP, de los Santos proposes for repair and maintenance fund for DA’s vehicles to be temporarily assigned to PRDP. The region is also determined to make its financial processes more effective and efficient through clear-cut work and financial plan as well as procurement plan.

Also highlighted during the coordination meeting were the findings and recommendations generated from the 1^st WB Implementation Support Mission held on August 25-28, 2015 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for each component, catch-up plans to address the findings, and the third quarter accomplishments of the cluster and the RPCOs.

PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Director Shandy M. Hubilla instructed the RPCOs to put the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with provincial local government unit (PLGU) partners on top of its order of priorities. Currently, three provinces of Bicol namely Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte have signed MOAs with PRDP while the revised MOA with Catanduanes was already endorsed to PSO for Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala’s signature. The region is working on two MOAs with municipal LGUs namely Placer and Esperanza, Masbate.

He stressed the need to fast track the hiring of additional staff as this directly impacts the accomplishment of target outputs. He also informed the RPCOs that the WB may conduct random inspection to infrastructure and enterprise development SPs thus, SP preparation and urgent solutions to quality and workmanship issues must be implemented.

In addition, Hubilla emphasized that the measure of success in project implementation is not the obligation but the disbursement status. At present, Bicol was able to obligate 32 percent of its P17,319,000 target with a disbursement rate of 63 percent.

Furthermore, he sought the RPCOs’ support to PRDP’s request for additional financing worth $500 million. He stated that without guaranteed additional budget available after January 2016, PRDP cannot make firm commitments to LGUs’ requests for infrastructure projects.

He emphasized that the cluster has to achieve about P500 million disbursements by June 2016 from the requested additional financing. He added that PRDP is hoping that the request will be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board before June 2016.

Fourth quarter activities and initial plans for the 2^nd PRDP Implementation Support Mission were discussed while the amendments and addendum to MOA were also presented.

The PRDP South Luzon Coordination meeting was participated by the deputy project directors, component heads and staff of PRDP South Luzon consist of Regions IV-A (CALABARZON), IV-B (MIMAROPA) and V (Bicol).

PRDP is a six-year project being implemented by the DA that aims to establish an inclusive, market-oriented, and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector nationwide thereby raising annual real farm incomes of household beneficiaries by 5%, the value of annual marketed output by 7%, and the number of farmers and fishers with improved access to DA’s services by 20%. PRDP’s P2,483.95 billion-worth budget is funded from the WB loan of P20.50 billion, Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant of P287 million, National Government of P3.579 billion and Local Government Units (LGUs) equity of P3.118 billion. (Annielyn L. Baleza, I-SUPPORT InfoACE Unit, DA-RAFIS 5)

PRDP RPCO V I-PLAN Component Head Aloha Gigi I. Bañaria provides an update regarding the actions taken and plans to address the issues and concerns raised during the 1st Quarter Coordination Meeting held last April 27-30, 2015 in Caramoan, Camarines Sur and the Updates and Planning Coordination Meeting held on August 5, 2015 in Tagaytay.

Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension and Deputy Project Director Dr. Elena B. de los Santos suggest that necessary data and reports be generated by the M & E Unit to be submitted to the Office of the Project Director or Deputy Project Director prior to endorsement to the Project Support Office.

PRDP RPCO V Finance Analyst I Francis R. Llesis presents PRDP-Bicol’s Procurement Plan vs. Work and Financial Plan report during the PRDP South Luzon Coordination Meeting held at Great Eastern Hotel (Aberdeen Court), Quezon Ave., Diliman, Quezon City on October 28-29, 2015.