TAGAYTAY CITY, CAVITE – The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) CALABARZON Enterprise Development (I-REAP) Component conducted a Joint Technical Review activity for the potential business partners in the region last March 3 to 6.

The technical review aims to ensure that the business proposal from the proponent groups are complete and compliant in terms of requirements, financial analysis, as well as plans for engineering works, if any, before it gets presented to the members of the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) for their approval.

The business plans that have been reviewed during the activity were crafted by the Silang Cacao Growers Association (Silang, Cavite) and Alfonso Cacao Growers Association (Alfonso, Cavite) for cacao enterprises, and Pantihan-4 Farmers Association (Maragondon, Cavite) and Dasmariñas Mango Growers Association (Dasmariñas City) for banana and mango businesses, respectively.

For the province of Quezon, the Yakap at Halik Multipurpose Cooperative Quezon II also presented its cocosugar enterprise proposal. The group has previously partnered with DA-PRDP for their marine grouper enterprise in support to calamity-stricken areas.

To provide assistance, especially to the groups who plan to do food processing, the I-REAP component invited resource speakers from the Food and Drugs Administration to share the various requirements, laws, tools, and protocols of the agency for food businesses. Moreover, representatives from the High Value Crops Development Program of DA CALABARZON were also present to provide technical views for the proposals.

Concerned components and units from the PRDP national, project support, and regional offices were also in attendance to make sure that the groups’ business plans, detailed engineering designs, program of works, and other requirements are in order.  – Lawrence Albert Bariring, DA-PRDP CALABARZON RPCO InfoACE Unit