DA-PRDP ENGAGES PROJECT OWNERSHIP TO LGUS, RESIDENTS
As a way to engage project ownership and transparency, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) conducted a two-day Citizens’ Monitoring Tool (CMT) Training held separately in Bagac Bataan and Castillejos, Zambales on February 2-3 2021.
The CMT Training was spearheaded by the Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO 3) in cooperation with the Project Support Office (PSO) for the pilot activity of the Establishment of Plant Nursery and Consolidation Facility for Sweetpotato Clean Planting Materials (CPM) and the Establishment of Custom Service Facilities for Production and Marketing of Sweetpotato.
According to Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer Cristina Domenden, the activity leans towards strengthening citizens involvement in monitoring to promote awareness and social responsibility in the implementation of PRDP subprojects.
The training was attended by the Proponent groups Binukawan Bicol Marketing Cooperatives, Nagbayan FFS Farmers Association, staff from the Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) and representatives from the contractors.
The attendees were also imparted with first-hand training on geotagging using the GeoCam App where in a Global Positioning System (GPS) -enabled camera phone with internet connection is utilized to capture and upload photos, commonly used for monitoring subprojects.
The challenge, issues will likely include technicalities, health and safety measures, social concerns, and other urgent matters faced by residents living within the community.
Given the participation of the local government unit and residents, comments and feedback are raised to project implementers to manage and resolve issues immediately by providing a suitable action.
The DA-RPCO 3 technical staff were able to discuss efficient infrastructure monitoring tools, wherein ordinary citizens could effectively understand and monitor infrastructure projects using the citizen monitoring manual as building standards.
Added discussions focused on environmental issues and other concerns that revolve around grievance redress mechanism (GRM). (MA. REINA LEN G. LUNA, RPCO3 InfoACE)
