The Mindanao Cluster’s enterprise development component now covers a total of 108 approved subprojects worth P628.56 million.

The Investment in Rural Enterprise and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity or I-REAP component of the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project provides support and various interventions to different Proponent Groups (PGs) or eligible cooperatives from targeted project areas based on Commodity Investment Plan (CIP) for each province.

There are a total of 54 subprojects worth P84.86 million under the micro enterprise category which cover 54 proponent groups and 5,098 beneficiaries. For small enterprises, there are 40 subprojects worth P310.47 million distributed to 97 proponent groups and 10,203 beneficiaries. Lastly, there are 14 subprojects for medium enterprise worth P233.23 million with 54 proponent groups, and 12,201 beneficiaries.

Most of these subprojects included the provision of financial assistance such as working capital to help proponent groups expand their operations. Project beneficiaries also received technical assistance such as EOM, business plan review, skills training, market linkage, and credit facilitation.

PRDP also provides input provisions and infrastructure support to these proponent groups through the establishment of warehouses, solar and mechanical dryers, fermenting facilities, and other infrastructure component that is needed in the production and processing.

In the past six months following the 10^th World Bank Mission, the Project Support Office Mindanao’s I-REAP component continued to assist the Regional Project Coordination Offices (RPCO’s) and the different proponent groups (PG’s) in order to continue project implementation. The use of PRDP tools such as geotagging and online conferences aided in the fast-tracking of projects in order for the project recipients to enjoy the benefits as soon as possible.

This strategy has resulted in a positive outcome where additional six (6) subprojects are completed within the six-month period worth P57.52 million. This includes two (2) medium enterprises worth P31.61 million, three (3) small enterprises worth P23.16 million, and one (1) micro enterprise worth P2.75 million. This makes the total completed subprojects of Mindanao Cluster to 48 subprojects worth P181.63 million.

Mindanao cluster also has 10 newly approved subprojects worth P87.82 million which is included in the 108 total subprojects. These include one (1) medium enterprise worth P16 million, six (6) small enterprises worth P62.41 million, and three (3) micro enterprises worth P9.41 million.

Region 10 ranked first with the highest number of approved portfolios with 39 subprojects worth P93.55 million, followed by Region 12 with 18 subprojects worth P216.57 million. Region 11 comes in third with 17 subprojects worth P152.28 million, followed by Region 13 with 13 subprojects worth P99.21 million, Region 9 with 11 subprojects worth P43.68 million, and BARMM with 10 subprojects worth P23.26 million.

One good thing about PRDP’s enterprise subprojects is it ensures the involvement of women in the project. Based on the 27,502 enterprise subproject beneficiaries, 11, 245 of these are women.

As to the positive impact of the project, women are directly benefiting from enterprises where more women are encouraged to participate in the livelihood programs of the community and their involvement also boost the income of their family.  (JOY  M. MONTECALVO)