BATANGAS CITY – The Batangas Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) held their first interagency convergence meeting on July 5, 2019 after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding last March 14 on the use of the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP).

The goal of the activity is to monitor the PCIP implementation and also to promote the plan to other stakeholders of the value chain.

“The PCIP helps us see and address the gaps and issues within the commodity value chain. It is a platform to generate new interventions and support that can be funded by PRDP and different agencies based on their mandates,” Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) – CALABARZON Project Director, Felix Ramos, said.

Commodities included in the PCIP are dairy cattle, dairy carabao, banana, coffee, coconut, seaweeds, mango, and chicken egg.

The plan is the basis in selecting eligible infrastructure and enterprise subprojects for assistance and funding not only by PRDP but also by other agencies.

Representatives from the Batangas State University, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agrarian Reform, Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, National Irrigation Administration, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and Department of Agriculture shared which interventions included in the PCIP have already been funded by these agencies and those that can still be included in their budget for succeeding years.

“This meeting is a good initiative of Batangas for all agencies to share their plans with another so we could avoid duplication. For future budget and work plans, we can also include other support services in the PCIP that are not part of our present activities,” Abegail del Rosario of ATI stated.

I-PLAN Component Head, Jo-Marie Libarnes, also encouraged Batangas State University and other agencies with research units to look into the PCIP for their research projects. These institutions can submit research proposals to PRDP for funding under the I-PLAN 1.2.

The Batangas I-BUILD and I-REAP focal persons reported the status of the subprojects that they are handing.

Celia Atienza of the Provincial Commodity, Livelihood, and Enterprise Development Office – Batangas (PCLEDO) also informed the body that their office has adopted some of the Project’s processes and tool for their local programs.

Further, an investment forum and workshop will also be conducted for the participating agencies before the next convergence meeting. ### (Lawrence Albert Bariring, DA-PRDP CALABARZON RPCO InfoACE Unit)

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aqautic Resources representative discusses the interventions included in the PCIP that are already funded or for funding by their agency.

Department Head Celia Atienza of Provincial Cooperatives, Livelihood, and Enterprise Development Office – Batangas provided the run-down of the enterprise subprojects being supported by the province.

(Lawrence Albert Bariring, DA-PRDP CALABARZON RPCO InfoACE Unit)