In preparation for the construction of the proposed onion cold storage facility, the DA-PRDP Central Luzon held a pre-construction conference at the Municipal Hall in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on August 2, 2022, in coordination with the Bongabon Municipal Project Management and Implementation Unit (MPMIU) headed by EnP. Jane P. Ramos.

The Regional Project Coordination Office 3 (RPCO3) and North Luzon Project Support Office (PSO) staff presented the requirements from the I-BUILD component and different units of PRDP which includes the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES), Geotagging and Governance Unit (GGU), and Finance to ensure the smooth implementation of the project during its construction.

PRDP tools were also introduced in the said activity such as the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) through the Citizens Monitoring Tool (CMT) and the Geotagging tool which will be used to monitor the progress of the subproject.

Municipal Mayor Ricardo I. Padilla warmly welcomed the DA-PRDP staff and expressed that he is looking forward for this subproject and hopefully for other subprojects in the future as well while MPMIU Head Ramos vowed to lead the compliance of the subproject requirements to avoid any delays on the subprojects’ timeline and achieve the proposed 18-month construction period.

On the other hand, North Luzon PSO SES Unit Head Emmanuel Aragones emphasized the importance of the strict compliance that the PRDP upholds in the implementation of every subproject in line with its goal in promoting transparency and good governance.

This Php210-M subproject is 80% funded under the PRDP’s infrastructure component, I-BUILD, with the second Additional Financing (AF-2) from the World Bank and E.U co-financing grant, 10% from the Department of Agriculture, and 10% from Bongabon LGU.  (Ram Bautista, InfoACE – RPCO3)

Bongabon Mayor Ricardo Padilla gives his welcome remarks during the pre-construction conference.

_{Bongabon Mayor Padilla and designated MPMIU focal persons from the LGU.}

_{North Luzon PSO SES Unit Head Emmanual Aragones reminds the proponent LGU to be strictly compliant on the subproject requirements.}