With the release of the Second Additional Financing (AF2) worth $280 million for the implementation of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), the I-REAP component in Bicol conducted a series of social preparation activities to stakeholders, including Proponent Group (PG) officers and members, and implementing Provincial Project Management and Implementation Units (PPMIU) of Catanduanes and Masbate.

DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol I-REAP Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene Florece and Project Development Associate Angelica Peñano conducted a consultation and orientation, as well as business modelling, with Provincial Agriculturist Nelia Teves and its selected PG, ARDCI Microfinance Inc., represented by its Project Manager Dennis Timbal in Virac, Catanduanes from September 27 to 30, 2021.

ARDCI is a non-government organization (NGO) with 892 members engaged in backyard swine raising. PPMIU-Catanduanes is seeking I-REAP funding for its plan to invest in integrated swine enterprise and feed mill processing.

The proposed I-REAP subproject targets to benefit 124 farmer members in three (3) adjacent barangays in Virac, Catanduanes, with an expansion plan to include all farmer-members provincewide.

Florece and Peñano also visited the 2.3-hectare site for the proposed swine facility, feed mill and processing center in Virac. Florece also met with Municipal Agriculturist Eduardo V. Taopo Jr. of Bato, Israel Dela Rosa, OIC-Municipal Agriculturist of Caramoran; and Agricultural Technician Robert Glenn Padilla of San Miguel to discuss the priority commodity of the province and possible I-REAP interventions in their respective area.

Likewise, DA-PRDP RPCO Bicol I-REAP Business Development Officer Glenn Balana conducted a planning and orientation with Engineer Jonel Orteza, the Provincial Agriculturist of Masbate and Irish Cabrera, Municipal Agriculturist of Dimasalang on October 15, 2021 to prepare them for I-REAP subprojects implementation. The province eyes for I-REAP investments in support of its priority commodities including goat, coconut charcoal, native chicken, seaweeds, and swine.

Aside from social preparation activities, the DA-PRDP will also provide its I-REAP subproject beneficiaries and partner Local Government Units with capacity building programs, which includes business plan preparation, financial management, geotagging, and social and environmental safeguards to equip them in implementing DA-PRDP-funded enterprises.

Under the DA-PRDP I-REAP retrofitted AF2 with EU co-financing grant Operations Manual, financing mix for I-REAP subprojects will be divided into 60% (World Bank Loan Proceeds), 20% (Department of Agriculture), and 20% proponent group counterpart in cash or in-kind. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V/PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

PRDP-Bicol I-REAP Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene Florece conducts a consultation and orientation with the PPMIU and stakeholders in Catanduanes on September 29, 2021.
Photo Credit: Dennis Timbal, ARDCI Microfinance Inc.

PRDP-Bicol I-REAP Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene Florece conducts a site visit to the site for its proposed swine facility, feed mill and processing center in Virac, Catanduanes.