The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office 3 (RPCO 3) convened in an assessment meeting to discuss several concerns regarding the implementation of the project in the region on November 16-17, 2023, in Olongapo City, Zambales.

Led by Project Director Dr. Arthur D. Dayrit, RPCO 3 tackled the improvement of implementation of ongoing subprojects and overcoming the challenges toward its target accomplishments. Present during the activity were RPCO 3 staff, Provincial, Municipal, and City Project Management and Implementation Units (P/N/CPMIU), and proponent farmer groups.

Action Officer Engr. Michael Manansala presented the overall status of the DA-PRDP in Central Luzon, highlighting the P2.86-billion total worth of approved agricultural infrastructure and enterprise subprojects since its implementation in 2014.

RPCO 3 also leveled with partner LGUs in its key strategies with proposal of subprojects under the PRDP Scale-Up. As of this writing, RPCO 3 has reviewed P3.1-billion total worth of proposed subprojects under the PRDP’s infrastructure development component, I-BUILD, for the PRDP Scale-Up.

PRDP Scale-Up was officially launched by the DA, led by the newly-appointed Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr., on November 6, 2023, along with two other projects under the department supported by the World Bank. It is the expanded version of one of the department’s flagship programs designed to address gaps in the commodity value chain for the greater connectivity, mobility, accessibility, availability, and affordability of food in the market. (Ram Bautista, RPCO 3 InfoACE)