LGUs and farmer groups urged to submit enterprise proposals for PRDP funding
“We would like to request for more proposals particularly on enterprise development (I-REAP) from as many local government units (LGUs), farmer associations and cooperatives.”
This was repeatedly emphasized by Engr. Cirilo N. Namoc, Assistant to the Philippine Rural Development Project National Project Coordination Office (PRDP-NPCO) Deputy Project Director, during the 3rd World Bank Implementation Support Mission for Luzon A Cluster held in Kalinga on November 14-16, 2016.
“We have already obligated 19% of the I-BUILD Component but I-REAP fund utilization is still way behind so maybe this is the right time for us to re-examine and convince more LGUs, farmer associations and cooperatives to submit project proposals under the enterprise development for our evaluation,” said Namoc.
In Luzon A, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) accounts 18% share of the I-REAP portfolio or 48 subprojects with net amounting to P90.01 million.
Of the 48 enterprise development subprojects, four are approved and under procurement while the rest are pipelined. Such includes the regular and micro enterprise subprojects lined-up for the issuance of No Objection Letter 1 (NOL1), approved by the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB), and under business plan preparation.
Meanwhile, the four approved I-REAP SPs are in support to the coffee industry which is the pilot commodity of the region. Among these are the coffee processing and marketing enterprise subprojects in the provinces of Kalinga, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao which are currently under procurement stage.
As the demand for coffee increases and with the support from PRDP I-REAP, DA Regional Executive Director and PRDP RPCO-CAR Project Director Lorenzo M. Caranguian hope that farmers will be encouraged to maintain their coffee and expand their production.
“It is a multi-program that addresses multi-objectives on promoting livelihood and at the same time conserving our land resources,” Caranguian added.
As per Cluster reports, there is a major increase in the regional share of I-REAP portfolio from 158 total number of subprojects during the previous Mission (April 2016) to 319 subprojects as of October 2016.
The enterprise development component of the PRDP or I-REAP which aims to strengthen and develop viable agri-fishery based enterprises through efficient value chains of key agricultural and fishery products in targeted project areas, is in response to the project development objectives (PDOs) of the PRDP specifically to increase market value by 7%, 35% increase in income of enterprise beneficiaries and 20% increase in number of farmers/ fisherfolks with improved access to DA services. (Elvy S. Taquio, CARPCO InfoACE Unit)
