PILI, CAMARINES SUR – World Bank (WB) Project Management and Institutional Development Consultant Luningning Bondoc commended the early completion of Aroroy, Masbate’s Concreting of San Agustin to Tigbao Farm-to-Market Road. The best practices from the implementation of the said infrastructure development (I-BUILD) project, which was completed five months ahead of target construction completion date, were highlighted during the 11th WB Implementation Support Mission (ISM) to Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Kick-Off Meeting and Cluster Updates Presentation held virtually on November 17, 2020.

In the Project Support Office (PSO) South Luzon Presentation of Updates, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist Arvin San Juan shared the PRDP-Bicol’s strategies which led to the said result including the local government unit’s provision of alternative logistic through the municipality’s “Bantay Dagat” boat for the joint inspectorate team, strategic scheduling of a 24-hour construction in some subproject stations in non-residential areas, and securing of a stockpile of construction materials to cover the whole stretch of the FMR from Albay and Cebu prior to the pandemic.   

The PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) Bicol headed by Regional Executive Director and concurrently PRDP-Bicol Project Director Rodel P. Tornilla is joining the nationwide 11th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the Project scheduled on November 17 to December 3, 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the agri-fishery sector’s efforts to recover from three consecutive typhoons that hit the region. Among this mission’s objectives are to evaluate progress towards Project Development and Global Environment Objectives achievement, discuss implementation issues, including ones caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, review progress on the agreed follow-up actions since the previous mission, and review implementation progress of the project component activities and discuss solutions for emergent technical issues. 

“These are really challenging times. So really again, congrats to the entire PRDP team for adapting to these new realities, for always being innovative and flexible,” Eli Weiss, WB Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader, said. 

The 11th WB ISM will feature cluster updates with virtual project site visit in PSO Visayas and Mindanao, simultaneous proponent group consultation and dialogue, contractors’ meeting, component and unit meetings. This is the second consecutive WB ISM to be conducted virtually because of the global COVID-19 pandemic following the first virtual ISM conducted in June 2020. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V)

DA-Bicol Regional Executive Director and concurrently PRDP-Bicol Project Director Rodel P. Tornilla attends the 11th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the Project on November 17, 2020 via a videoconferencing application.

PRDP-Bicol component and unit heads attend the 11th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the Project on November 17, 2020.

PRDP RPCO V Deputy Project Director Adelina A. Losa (center), I-BUILD Head Engr. Teodoro C. Eleda and project hired staff listen to a message from World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and Task Team Leader Eli Weiss