The Department of Agriculture (DA) conducted a training on Safeguards Construction Supervision in the implementation of infrastructure subprojects under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) at City Travel Hotel, Baguio City on October 10 – 13, 2017.

The activity was held to re-orient representatives from different Local Government Units (LGUs), both their respective safeguards officer and engineer, about the standards before, during, and after implementation of projects regarding infrastructure quality and monitoring, and environmental and social management.

During the event, lectures such as Supervision of Farm-to-Market Roads and Environmental and Social Management/Mitigation Plan (ESMP) were imparted to the participants. A subproject site visitation was also held during the last day of the training.

Different National Project Coordination Office – Social and Environmental Safeguards (NPCO-SES) personnel were invited to lecture on the different topics presented during the training workshop. Engr. Frederick Agasen, Rural Infrastructure Specialist, handled the technical side of engineers such as Infrastructure Quality Monitoring and Durability System. Impacts and hazards to the environment were lectured by Michael Francis Falconi, Environmental Safeguards Officer. Mary Char Bey de Castro, Social Safeguards Officer, talked about the physical and mental health of workers in and out of working conditions. Bathsheba Aparilla, Social Safeguards Specialist, addressed the need for safeguards to be part of the implementation of the projects of the different LGUs. (Eull Guevara, CARPCO InfoACE Unit)

Engr. Frederick Agasen, Rural Infrastructure Specialist encouraged actively participating engineers in the workshop to identify violations in the PowerPoint slides shown according to the lecture given.

The different Local Government Units were grouped and often tasked to discuss the different topics when instructed by the resource speakers.