The Ilocos Norte Provincial Project Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PPMIU) sponsored a Training-Workshop on Detailed Engineering Design (DED), Feasibility Study (FS), Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) and Business Modelling at the Mariano Marcos State University Mansion House, Batac City on September 22-25, 2015.

The training-workshop aimed to translate the raw data gathered by the municipal local government units (MLGUs) of Marcos, Pasuquin, Paoay, Currimao, Pinili and Bacarra into the above-mentioned subproject documents. These municipalities are prioritized under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) to support the mango commodity in the province. The above-listed documents comprise the proposal for the infrastructure and enterprise development subprojects funded by the PRDP.

The PRDP is a six-year national agri-fishery development project of the Government in cooperation with the World Bank. It aims to uplift the lives of small-scale farmers in the country through building enterprises and infrastructures that improve the various value chain segments of the prioritized commodities. Aside from increasing farmers’ income, the PRDP aims to address climate-related issues in the agriculture and fishery sector of the country.

Last August 3, 2015, the Rehabilitation of the Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Road (FMR), the first infrastructure subproject of Ilocos Norte, was approved by the Regional Project Advisory Board 1 (RPAB1). At present, the P168-million subproject is being reviewed and evaluated by the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) for the issuance of a No Objection Letter 1 (NOL 1).

Before the training-workshop began, each MLGU presented the status of their respective infrastructure subproject proposal. Most of them raised concerns on the preparation of the social safeguards documentary requirements of the PRDP.

Presenters during the training workshop include unit and component heads of the Regional Project Coordination Office 1 (RPCO 1) for Geomapping and Governance, Infrastructure, Social and Enviromental Safeguards, and Enterprise.

RPCO 1 Geomapping and Governance Unit (GGU) head Deo G. Rivera stressed particular guideline regarding the road influence area of proposed subprojects. Road influence area pertains to the area that will be served by the project and where the particular commodities are situated. Mr. Rivera said that there must be at least 2.5 kilometers on both sides of the proposed sub-project as road influence area and can extend until 2.5 kilometers distance from the end of the proposed road.

Meanwhile for the completion of the enterprise subproject to support the province’s mango and onion commodities, the Investments on Rural Enterprises for Agri-Fishery Productivity (IREAP) Component formulated business models using a set of guide questions to identify possible enterprises in each of the value chain segment.

The formulated business model would serve as guide for selecting of the Proponent Group by the PPMIU and the crafting of the enterprise proposal by the prioritized proponent group.

The subproject documents crafted during the training workshop will be presented to the Regional Project Advisory Board 1 (RPAB) 1 Members, the approving body of the PRDP in the Ilocos Region.  (Ilocos InfoACE)

RPCO 1 I-BUILD Component head Ms. Eleanor Blanco as she presents the salient concerns in accomplishing the Detailed Engineering Design of the sub-projects.