In order to monitor the progress and sustainability of ongoing and completed subprojects in Catanduanes, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol conducted a series of Enterprise Operations Monitoring (EOM) and Operations and Maintenance Audit System (OMAS) from March 14-18, 2022.

The subprojects evaluated include the PhP10.21 million-worth Abaca Fiber Processing and Trading Enterprise (AFPTE) Main and Satellite Warehouse in Bato and Viga; Mangrove Crab Production and Marketing Enterprise in Panganiban; Broiler Production and Marketing in Pandan; Commercial Palay Production in Gigmoto; Concreting of Junction Sabangan-Datag East FMR in Caramoran; and the Construction of Junction Ogbong to Mabini FMR in Viga, Catanduanes.

According to DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol Organizational Development Officer Angelica Peñano, the EOM is designed to evaluate the I-REAP subprojects’ operation in terms of production, marketing and market linkages, Proponent Group (PG) management, and financial status. It also aims to update the I-REAP’s Data Capture Form (DCF), which includes information regarding the enterprise profile, beneficiary profile, buyers’ profile, and sales transaction of the enterprise from January to February 2022.

For the Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES), Associate Officer Cherry Soribello then assessed the I-REAP subprojects using the Environmental and Social Safeguards Compliance Monitoring Checklist for I-REAP Enterprise Operations, reviewing enterprise office requirements, social inclusiveness and equitable benefit-sharing, grievance redress mechanism, and occupational safety and health.

Pinoy Lingap-Damayan Multipurpose Cooperative (PLDC) General Manager Antonio Jimenez Jr. and Gigmoto Municipal Agriculturist underscored the importance the monitoring, saying that it guides beneficiaries and increases awareness in overall management operations, roles and responsibilities, as well as growing the projects to be sustainable even after completion.

Additionally, the DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol Regional Operations and Maintenance Audit Team (ROMAT) spearheaded the conduct of the Semi-Annual OMAS to I-BUILD and I-REAP civil works in the province. Said subprojects were monitored and evaluated based on its level of functionality (40%), physical status (30%), and social and institutional status (30%).

The team then discussed the EOM and OMAS findings, observations, and recommendations with the proposed PGs and the Provincial Project and Management Implementation Unit of Catanduanes. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V/InfoACE Unit with reports from Angelica Peñano, PRDP RPCO V I-REAP)