After the stakeholders’ consultation for the value chain analyses of tomato and mungbean commodities, the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Units (PPMIUs) of IlocosNorte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan updated their respective Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIPs) during a workshop held at La Union Country Resort on May 26-27, 2016.

Under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Units (PPMIUs) are tasked to prepare a Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) as mandated by the Investments on AFMP at the Local and National Levels (I-PLAN).

The PCIP is a listing of the key constraints, opportunities and interventions, such as enterprise and infrastructure subprojects, to support prioritized commodities. The Ilocos Region has prioritized 10 commodities under the PRDP: mango, onion, goat, peanut, tomato, mungbean, bangus , dragon fruit and coffee.

Representatives from other government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) attended the workshop. They helped the PPMIUs identify the interventions needed to support the tomato and mungbean commodities.

RPCO1 Deputy Project Director Paz L. Mones also attended the workshop and emphasized the value of off-season production. She said, “climate change is not deterrent parakumita.” According to her, PPMIUs must focus in to existing enterprises that has potential for expansion. Although the Department of Agriculture supports proponent groups (PGs), the listed interventions in the PCIP must drive PGs to become enterprises.

The PPMIUs are expected to submit the draft of their updated PCIPs on June 2016. The PCIPs will then be presented to the Regional Management Council for approval. (Ilocos InfoACE)