LAGAWE, IFUGAO – Newly elected Local Chief Executives were briefed on the policies and implementation processes of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA PRDP) last July 9 during an orientation activity held here.

“There is a need to conduct this orientation to catch-up with project timelines especially with the province of Ifugao since we have a lot of approved and ongoing subprojects here,” said Engr. Gaston B. Cael, Head of the I-BUILD (Infrastructure Development) component of the PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office-CAR (RPCO-CAR).

Major components and units of the Project and the documentary requirements of proposing subprojects were discussed during the activity. The RPCO-CAR also presented the physical and financial status/updates of ongoing PRDP-implemented infrastructure and enterprise subprojects in the province.

Considering the duration of the PRDP, queries regarding the possible approval and funding of new subproject proposals from other municipalities of Ifugao were raised.

Deputy Project Director Elma S. Mananes of the PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) North Luzon Cluster said that the PRDP can still accept subproject proposals as long as it is aligned with the Value Chain Analyses of provincial priority commodities and is included in the province’s commodity investment plan. The issuance of No Objection Letters (NOL), however, will be on hold for low performing LGUs.

“We are hopeful na matutuloy po ang implementation at buong puso niyong yayakapin ang mga subprojects na ongoing dahil iyon po ay hindi naka-taga sa LCE pero sa Ifugao as a whole (we are hopeful that the implementation will be continued and that you will wholeheartedly embrace the ongoing subprojects since these are not inscribed to the LCE but to Ifugao as a whole),” she added.

In addition, Mananes advised the new administration and staff to help in raising the performance of the province in terms of PRDP implementation since Ifugao is the top grosser of PRDP subprojects among the Cordillera provinces.

Meanwhile, Engr. Cael encouraged the LCEs to propose subprojects other than Farm-to-Market Roads. Cold storage facilities, warehouses, trading centers, communal irrigation system, potable water system and other eligible subprojects can be proposed as these are prioritized over FMRs.

With the 2019 elections, the PRDP RPCO-CAR intends to conduct similar activity to the other provinces to reinforce LGU partnership and ensure smooth implementation of ongoing subprojects. ### ELVY S. TAQUIO (DA PRDP)