July 20, 2015

The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office V (RPCO V) and Project Support Office South Luzon Investments in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (I-REAP) team conducted a Regional Technical Review of four Bicol provinces’ business plans on July 6-10, 2015 at Villa Caceres Hotel in Naga City.

PSO South Luzon Business Development Consultant Manolo Luis Herrera, Social Environmental Safeguards Focal Person Maria Iris D. Millendez, Economist Kathryn Louise Parungao, Roads and Bridges Specialist Engr. Lyn Collo, and RPCO V Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene S. Florece reviewed the proposed Abaca Fiber Processing and Marketing Enterprises of Catanduanes and Camarines Norte’s Queen Pineapple Juice Manufacturing. Meanwhile, business plans for the Coco Geonet Production and Coco Peat Processing Project of Camarines Norte and Coconut Sap Sugar Processing of Camarines Sur were also packaged for I-REAP funding.

A joint technical review on the national, cluster and regional project officesis scheduled on July 27-29, 2015 in Manila and a Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) meeting will be conducted on July 31, 2015 in Legazpi City to fast-track the issuance of No Objection Letter 1 to the proposed agro-industrial enterprises.

I-REAP is one of PRDP’s major components aimed at establishing viable agri-fishery based enterprises in targeted project areas along the value chain, capacitate farmers and fisherfolk in adopting productivity enhancement technologies, and connect farmers to markets.

PRDP is a six-year project worth 27.5 billion for an inclusive, market-oriented, and climate-resilient agri-fishery sector nationwide. It aims to step-up farmers’ income of PRDP household beneficiaries by 5% yearly, raise the value of annual marketed output by 7% and increase the number of farmers and fishers with improved access to DA services by 20%. (Annielyn L. Baleza, I-SUPPORT InfoACE Unit, DA-RAFIS 5)

RPCO V Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene S. Florece assists the PPMIU-Camarines Norte in finalizing the business plan for the province’s Queen Pineapple Juice Manufacturing during the I-REAP Regional Technical Review held on July 6-10, 2015 at Villa Caceres Hotel in Naga City.

PPMIU-Camarines Sur I-REAP Component Head Rossana D. Quilon and her team during the I-REAP Regional Technical Review held on July 6-10, 2015 at Villa Caceres Hotel in Naga City.

PSO South Luzon Business Development Consultant Manolo Luis Herrera, Project Development Associate John Darel Colarina, Economist Kathryn Louise Parungao, and RPCO V Business Development Officer Victoria Eugene S. Florece pose with the participants from Catanduanes and Camarines Norte during the I-REAP Regional Technical Review held on July 6-10, 2015 at Villa Caceres Hotel in Naga City.