The resident-beneficiaries shared their active involvement in the implementation of the “Construction and Upgrading of Nicanor Zabala – San Miguel – Jolo Farm-to-Market Road (FMR)” during the World Bank’s sixth implementation support mission to the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) South Luzon Cluster site visit and dialogue on May 23.

As Frauke Jungbluth, World Bank Task Team Leader stated, one of the objectives of the dialogue is to know the community’s stories and strategies in making the project implementation a success.

Early commitment of resident-beneficiaries like Emylinda Abayan was exhibited in their willingness to donate portion of their lands and their participation in the citizen monitoring. According to her, their sacrifice is worth it as the cemented road will lead to development.

Barangay Jolo Chairperson Jesus Cayapas expressed his gratitude for the residents’ active involvement as this helps in ensuring proper project implementation and fast troubleshooting. We see to it na yung paggawa ng project site, the barangay officials plus the [land] donors ay talagang may knowledge sila. Nabigyan po natin sila ng mga leaflets, kung paano ang paggawa nila [sa monitoring]…Nagkakaroon agad sila ng report sa barangay kung papaano pag-sagawa halimbawa sa clearing operations. (We see to it that barangay officials and land donors are well aware of the project. We gave them leaflets about the project and how to do monitoring. They always report about the project like their observations on the clearing operations)”, Anabelle Tansiongco, Barangay Councilor of Nicanor Zabala added.

Barangay San Miguel Chairperson Mary Ann Catalan mentioned the weekly report with geotagged photos they submit to the regional office as proof of FMR progress and documentation of concerns. She also testified that the community participation they adopted from PRDP is a big help for other projects in their barangay. “[Now] we are not just accepting [other] projects without any idea. Unlike this [in PRDP], with the trainings, the seminars, now in any project that goes inside here [in] our barangay, we have knowledge,” she said.

Engr. Raoul Azanza, World Bank Rural Infrastructure Engineer Consultant, commended this practice and emphasized the need to coordinate with the contractor regularly and be diligent until project completion in July 2019. PRDP South Luzon Project Support Office (PSO) Deputy Project Director Shandy Hubilla also underscored that the local government must ensure that the details of the project progress are well explained to the beneficiaries.

Moreover, initial benefits of the FMR were also shared in the dialogue. Aside from being able to use vehicles, the value of land has doubled due the FMR construction. According to Tansiongco, a lot of investors and buyers are now eyeing to own a land in either of the three barangays in the road influence area.

Alonzo Garcellano, representative from the Municipal Agriculturist Office of Roxas, also shared that the FMR is helpful in their programs for cashew area expansion and cashew tree rehabilitation. He noted the increase in the number of cashew farmers brought by the road construction and shared their future plan to plant cashew trees along the FMR after completion.

At the end of the dialogue, Engr. Cirilo Namoc, National Deputy Project Director, thanked the participants for sharing their experiences and learning as these may also be helpful in other PRDP subproject implementation. ### (Rio Christine Bustamante, DA-PRDP South Luzon PSO InfoACE Unit)

Barangay San Miguel Chairperson Mary Ann Catalan discusses their regular submission of
the Construction and Upgrading of Nicanor Zabala – San Miguel – Jolo FMR progress report and observations on citizen monitoring practiced in their community during the community dialogue.
(Photo by Leira Vic Colongon)

World Bank Rural Infrastructure Engineer Consultant Engr. Raoul Azanza (center) verifies the site development plan of the Construction and Upgrading of Nicanor Zabala – San Miguel – Jolo Farm-to-Market Road during the World Bank’s sixth implementation support mission to the PRDP South Luzon Cluster. (Photo by Leira Vic Colongon)

Even at 11% physical accomplishment, the Construction and Upgrading of Nicanor Zabala–San Miguel– Jolo FMR enables motorcycles and other modes of transportation to access the road influence area. (Photo by Leira Vic Colongon)