PILI, CAMARINES SUR – The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in Bicol forges ahead under the so-called ‘new normal’ condition to achieve rural development project targets in the region this 2020. 

During the PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon-Regional Project Coordination Offices (RPCOs) Virtual Coordination Meeting held on June 29, 2020, PRDP-Bicol Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa committed to disburse a total of P113.3 million-worth of interventions for its infrastructure (I-BUILD) and enterprise development (I-REAP) subprojects funded under the original World Bank (WB) loan worth P27.5 billion and first additional financing (AF) amounting to 170 million dollars. Among these subprojects are 11 farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate, and Catanduanes and seven enterprise subprojects in Albay, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur. This is to guarantee the release of the 280 million dollars second AF which requires 80 percent disbursement of the original loan and 35 percent from the first AF not later than July 30, 2020.     

“Talagang dapat mag-adapt na kita sa new normal—maging innovative in project implementation and mag-adal kita… Dapat talaga mag-adapt na kita with the improvement of these technologies (We really have to adapt to the new normal—to be innovative in project implementation and learn… We need to adapt with the improvement of these technologies),” Losa said. 

To hit these targets, PRDP-Bicol conducted a series of management meetings with the Provincial Project Management and Coordination Units (PPMIUs) of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte on July 1-2, 2020. During the said meetings, the Project Management and the concerned PLGU staff discussed the project status updates, disbursement targets and timelines and other issues and concerns particularly on Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES). A virtual pre-construction conference for the construction of four goat houses for bucks and does worth a total P3.89 million for the Masbate Integrated Goat Production and Marketing in Masbate was also conducted on June 29, 2020. 

Nonetheless, the employees’ health and safety remain on top of the PRDP Management’s priority. PRDP-Bicol’s Project Implementation Support (I-SUPPORT) component is now reviewing means to adjust the current work and financial plan to cover the PRDP staff’s personal protective equipment (PPE) and if possible, provide them health insurance. Recently, the Project’s Geomapping and Governance Unit also rolled out its Applied Geotagging Technology-Short Message Service (SMS) or GeoSMS application, designed to trace and monitor PRDP personnel while on duty amid the threat of COVID-19. Through this innovation, PRDP personnel particularly those who will be assigned to conduct physical validation in subproject sites to support PRDP operations will receive essential information including daily case reports, total confirmed cases and location of testing areas while on fieldwork. “Above all, maging maingat din kita na number one pa rin ang safety and health ng mga employees (Above all, let us be careful and ensure that our employees’ safety and health remain on top our priority),” Losa added. ### (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-RAFIS V)

RPCO-Bicol Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa together with the component and unit heads listens to PRDP Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Director Engr. Arnel De Mesa as he presides the PRDP PSO South Luzon-Regional Project Coordination Offices (RPCOs) Virtual Coordination Meeting held on June 29, 2020.

RPCO-Bicol Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa discusses the objectives and rationale of the Management Meeting with PPMIU-Camarines Sur held on July 1, 2020 at the Department of Agriculture-Bicol Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) Office in Brgy. San Agustin Pili, Camarines Sur.

PRDP-Bicol conducts a Virtual Management Meeting with PPMIU-Camarines Norte on July 2, 2020. PRDP-Bicol Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa, PSO South Luzon I-BUILD Head Engr. Allan Tatierra, PSO South Luzon Finance Unit Head John Socito, PRDP-Bicol I-BUILD Head Engr. Teodoro Eleda, and component and unit staff and their PPMIU counterparts attended the meeting.