To further boost the transparency and provide systematic feedback mechanism on projects implemented, the Department of Agriculture’s’ (DA) Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has introduced recently the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).

GRM is an integral project management element that intends to seek feedback from beneficiaries and resolve complaints on project activities and performance. The mechanism will ensure that the public within the project influence are aware of their rights to access, and shall have access to, the mechanism free of administrative and legal charges; that these rights and interests are protected from poor project performance, especially of beneficiaries and/or affected persons.

To intensify its campaign, DA – Regional Program Coordination Office 13 (DA-RPCO13) in coordination with the Project Support Office–Mindanao Cluster Social and Environmental Safeguards held a three-day workshop on GRM to build capacity of the Grievance Point Persons (GPPs) in the provinces and municipalities of Caraga region.

“With this mechanism, we aim to attain a systematic feedback mechanism to ensure that people and the environment are not adversely affected by PRDP implemented sub-projects,” said Arnel Arreglado, the Social and Environmental Safeguards unit head of PRDP Mindanao.

A week earlier, a similar activity was conducted in Region 10. Other regions in Mindanao will follow suit within the month.

Each LGU participant is required to set-up a GRM that would conform to its framework. The GRM office/desk to be established at the local government unit (LGU) will serve all sub-projects and related program activities that are implemented under the auspices of the LGU.

“With all the significant lessons we learned from the workshop, we will encourage and educate our barangays in the city to set-up an office or a desk for grievance concerns not just for PRDP matters, but for all the concerns they may encounter that need the action of the LGU,” said Halan Besario, Project Development Officer of Surigao City.

“The RPCO and the LGUs will make the public aware of the GRM through public awareness campaigns, training and capacity building in Project Implementation Support (I-SUPPORT). Any person who has feedback or complaints regarding the performance or activities of the project during per-implementation, implementation and operation phases, shall have access to the GRM mechanism,” Anacleto Hernando,  Environmental Safeguards Officer said.

Contact details in support of the mechanism will be made public by setting up posters in strategic places of concerned communities and of the project’s area of influence. These will also be incorporated in PRDP information materials, such as Project brochures, flyers and posters.

A registry of feedback or grievances received will be maintained by the GPPs for reporting to the RPCO, National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) and the World Bank, specifically for associated follow-up, resolution or non-resolution of issues. Feedback/grievance registries will be consolidated by the NPCO for discussions on how to further enhance PRDP systems based on the feedback and complaints.

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