With the North becoming the country’s saturation point and Mindanao having unstable peace and order situation, Mayor Ricarte Padilla of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte sees Bicol rising as the country’s growth point.

He said that the region now has to lay the groundwork for rural development, especially the infrastructure. He added that with development comes more job opportunities, population growth, and higher demand for food. According to him, investing in agriculture is necessary to ensure food sufficiency.

“Mayaman po ang lugar namin, kahit saan ka kumuha ng lupa, i-gold pan mo, makakakuha ka ng ginto. Pero ang nakikita po namin, mas may ginto sa agriculture (Our province is rich in gold. You can pan for gold everywhere. But what we are seeing is that there’s more gold in agriculture),” Padilla said.

Mayor Ricarte Padilla of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte presents the proposal for the P208 million-worth Upgrading of Nakalaya–Sta. Elena–San Isidro–Sta. Cruz–San Jose–Dayhagan to the Regional Project Advisory Board. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP Bicol RPCO InfoACE Unit)

The mayor shared the master plan of Jose Panganiban’s Larap Integrated Development Project (LIDP) with the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project’s (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB).

The LIDP is a development project prepared by urban planner Architect Felino Palafox Jr. Through the LIDP, the Larap Airport is projected to start its commercial operation in 2021 while the coal-fired power plant is set to start generating electricity for Camarines Norte and nearby provinces by 2021 or 2022.

To complement the upcoming developments in Jose Panganiban, the local government unit (LGU) proposed for the RPAB’s approval of the 19.50-kilometer farm-to-market road (FMR) which will traverse six barangays and benefit 7,796 population.

The P208 million-worth Upgrading of Nakalaya–Sta. Elena–San Isidro–Sta. Cruz–San Jose–Dayhagan is designed to link the economic growth points of the barangay to the national highway.

Likewise, Castilla, Sorsogon Mayor Joan Lorenzano-Aquende, a first termer in public service, said that she personally experienced the struggles of rural people living in remote barrios. With 42.20 percent poverty incidence in Castilla, Aquende observed that the municipality cannot compete in commercialization and industrialization right away.

“Castilla has to adopt agri-ecotourism as its banner program. We are pushing for road networks and bridge construction in our area so we could introduce economic development and eventually reduce the poverty incidence in our municipality,” she said.

To support the agri-fishery sector of the town, the Castilla LGU proposed the 7.56-kilometer FMR across four barangays. The P90.72 million-worth Cumadcad–Canjela FMR will benefit 8,564 population. Aquende also presented the proposed Concreting of Dinapa–Pandan–Cogon FMR with 25 linear-meter bridge which will benefit 5,495 population in three barangays within the road influence area.

The subproject proposals from Jose Panganiban and Castilla were among the five infrastructure development (I-BUILD) subprojects with an aggregate amount of P976.04 million that were approved for PRDP funding by the RPAB on September 29.

Also approved were the P358.92 million-worth Construction of 22-kilometer San Agustin– Matalangtalang–Tigbao–Talib–Sawang in Aroroy, Masbate and the P238.68 million-worth Rehabilitation and Improvement of Quinastillojan–Rawis FMR and Wharf Projects in San Miguel Island, Tabaco City.

Mayor Joan Lorenzano-Aquende of Castilla, Sorsogon discusses how the P90.72 million-worth Cumadcad–Canjela FMR and the P79.72 million-worth Dinapa–Pandan–Cogon FMR with 25 linear-meter bridge would help reduce the 42.20 percent poverty incidence in the municipality. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP Bicol RPCO InfoACE Unit)

With the discussion of the World Bank-PRDP Harmonized Procurement Guidelines by PRDP Project Support Office Procurement Unit Head Michael Gregory Vargas, the RPAB approved the 9.95 percent increase in cost of the P3.11 million-worth Camarines Sur Coconut Sap Sugar Processing Center. The Board also approved the 7.94 percent increase in cost of the P75.89 million-worth Road Opening and Concreting of Batang–San Gabriel FMR in Pamplona, Camarines Sur.

PRDP is a six-year project being implemented by the Department of Agriculture that provides key infrastructure, facilities, technology and information in partnership with LGUs and the private sector to establish an inclusive, market-oriented and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector. ### (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP Bicol RPCO InfoACE Unit)

Michael Gregory Vargas, Procurement Unit Head of the PRDP South Luzon Project Support Office, discusses the increase in the subproject costs of the Camarines Sur Coconut Sap Sugar Processing Center and the Road Opening and Concreting of Batang–San Gabriel FMR subprojects. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP Bicol RPCO InfoACE Unit)