AID FOR ENTERPRISES. Photo (inset) shows Engr. Jose Albert A. Barrogo, Deputy Project Director for Visayas gestures presents the updates on the PRDP Implementation during the PSO Visayas Cluster Coordination Meeting held on October 17-18, 2016 at Manapla, Negros. (Photo by: Rodel G. Macapanas, RPCO 8, InfoACE) Region 8 gets bulk of PRDP aid for Enterprise Dev’t in Visayas
More than anywhere else perhaps, it is a fact that Region 8 is most in need of assistance due to the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
According to Engr. Jose Albert A. Barrogo, Deputy Project Director for Visayas, of the 105 enterprise (I-REAP) subprojects lined up in the Visayas cluster, 47 of which are from Region 8. Of the 47 subprojects, 44 are already approved with a funding allocation of P88 million, while the remaining three are on the pipeline. Among the pipelined (Regular I-REAP) subprojects involve the coco-geonets, banana (cardaba), and coconut production and enhanced production thru intercropping of corn and soybeans.
“We are expecting that this would even go up before the year ends. Most of the subprojects proposed are microenterprises, focused on production and trading of certain commodities such as ube, vegetables, native chicken, duck, and swine, meliponiculture (stingless bee culture),” said Engr. Barrogo during the cluster coordination meeting in Manapla, Negros Occidental on October 17-18, 2016
Relatedly, Anita R. Taran, Provincial Agriculturist of Samar, expressed her gratitude to the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) as early as this stage.
“We are thankful about the PRDP. This is an opportunity that we want to take advantage of. With our meager resources in the province, we cannot fully support the need of our farmers. Many of them are still trying to get over with the adverse effects of several calamities that hit us in recent years.”
“We could have submitted as much proposals for funding under the PRDP because we badly need it if not for our inherent limitations relative to funding and compliance with documentary requirements,” Taran pointed out.
Highlights during the recently held cluster meeting include the presentation of project updates, discussion of issues and concerns impinging each project component, as well as the preparation for the upcoming 3rd World Bank Implementation Support Mission. This was attended by at least 60 participants from Regions 6, 7 and 8 comprised of cluster/regional project and deputy project directors, and component and unit heads. (Rodel G. Macapanas, InfoACE, RPCO 8)
