Bicol LGUs urged to submit more sub-project proposals for DA PRDP funding
About P185 million is still at stake for the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) enterprise development (I-REAP) in Bicol until December 2016. This was announced by Project Support Office Business Development Officer John Darel Colarina during the series of PRDP re-orientation conducted in Sorsogon and Albay on August 16-17, 2016.
Hence, PRDP-Bicol I-REAP Component Head Adelina A. Losa urged the local officials, provincial and municipal agriculture officers, engineers, and planning and development coordinators to avail of PRDP funding and partner with the Department of Agriculture (DA) in establishing an inclusive, value chain-oriented and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector in their respective localities.
“Pwede na po ang mga munisipyo maging partner kan Department of Agriculture sa pag-implement ning mga sub-projects under PRDP (Municipal local government units may now partner with the Department of Agriculture in implementing sub-projects under PRDP),” Losa also announced. She added that originally, PRDP’s entry point was the province but to expand the Project’s reach, the Management has decided to accept sub-project proposals from the municipal level.
To convince newly-elected local chief executives to engage in the Project, staff from PRDP’s four components and units provided an overview of their implementation process, documentary requirements and innovative tools. Particular highlight was given on PRDP’s winning points including the use of geotagging technology, value chain analysis, and expanded vulnerability and suitability assessment. The PRDP-Bicol team also underscored the Project’s commitment to world-class quality standards, social and environmental safeguards, use of local commodities and participatory implementation.
Board Member Arze Glipo, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture in Sorsogon, said, “With sufficient information about PRDP, its target objectives and expected outputs, I believe maraming maeenganyo as it will open new sources of livelihood and create more value-added products.” She is hopeful that when they get back to their respective municipalities, they will convince their local chief executives.”
Municipal Engineer Giovanni G. Matociños of Juban, Sorsogon said that he will re-echo the discussion to the municipal mayor with an emphasis on the 10 percent counterpart fund requirement for infrastructure development (I-BUILD). Likewise, Aldino A. Bazar, Municipal Planning and Development Officer (MPDO) of Pioduran, Albay, said that PRDP has lower counterparting scheme and if approved, the LGU need not loan from other funding agencies to implement its infrastructure and livelihood projects.
Interested LGUs must first submit a letter of intent to PRDP through the DA Regional Field Unit and enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Project to officially start the partnership.
PRDP is a World Bank-assisted development project designed to raise farmers’ income by five percent, increase the value of annual marketed output by seven percent and boost the number of farmers and fisherfolk with better access to DA services by 20 percent. As of writing, Bicol has a total of five I-BUILD sub-projects under implementation worth P6.42 million and four I-REAP sub-projects under procurement amounting to P47.79 million.
The PRDP re-orientation was attended by representatives from 10 municipalities and one city in Sorsogon and seven municipalities and one city in Albay. Similar re-orientations will also be conducted in Masbate, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur to encourage more LGUs to participate in the Project. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)