The Masbate provincial local government unit (PLGU) envisions an inclusive, market-oriented and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector as it reaffirms its engagement with the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), a six-year World Bank-assisted project implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA). This was confirmed by Masbate Provincial Planning Development Officer Engr. Ramon B. Marcaida III during a PRDP reorientation meeting held at the Department of Agriculture-Bicol office in Pili, Camarines Sur on December 19, 2016.

According to Marcaida, the PLGU eyes the establishment of a circumferential road that will traverse the municipalities of Mandaon, Baleno, Milagros and Aroroy, Masbate. He mentioned the province’s intent to partner with PRDP in raising the quality of lives of farmers and fisherfolk in the said coastal municipalities in the province.

DA-Bicol Regional Executive Director and PRDP-Bicol Project Director Elena B. De Los Santos said that the PLGU-Masbate’s decision was a good move as the project intends to provide equal opportunity to island provinces like Masbate in terms of PRDP investments.

DA RFO V Regional Executive Director Elena B. De Los Santos presides the PRDP re-orientation meeting for PLGU-Masbate on December 19, 2016 in Pili, Camarines Sur. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

The reorientation meeting was attended by PRDP-Bicol component and unit heads and their representatives including Engr. Arnie C. Ilan who is in charge of infrastructure development (I-BUILD), Glenn Sm. Balana, project development associate of the project’s enterprise development (I-REAP) component, planning specialist Mary Ann R. Cuya of the local and national level planning (I-PLAN), as well as Engr. Teodoro C. Eleda and Hernan C. Elano of the Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) and Finance units, respectively. Masbate Governor Antonio Kho came earlier for a dialogue with Director De Los Santos about his plan to renew the province’s support to the Project.

Reports from the “Philippine Statistic Authority-A Review of the Agriculture Sector in BICOL, 2004” show that Masbate has 207,500 hectares or 23 percent of land area devoted to agriculture. The province has an estimated rural population of 821,448. With PRDP, PLGU-Masbate targets 441,364 or 21 percent of its rural population living below poverty threshold as beneficiaries.

PRDP aims to provide interventions to the agri-fishery sector in the countryside using science-based tools such as value chain analysis, commodity investment plans and geotagging. On December 7, 2016, three municipalities from Masbate namely Pio V. Corpuz, Aroroy and Balud, Masbate attended a similar reorientation meeting. ### (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)