The Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Mindanao Team led by Project Director Ricardo Oñate, Jr and Deputy Project Director Noel Provido met with the team from Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) led by Usec.  Janet Lopoz to level off on their respective roles in the implementation of subprojects under the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme Rise Mindanao or MinPad Rise which would utilize a grant from the EU that seeks to ensure job creation, strengthen inclusive and sustainable growth, and promote peace in the country’s second largest island group.

Lopoz led the discussion on how to interface priorities for the MinPad Rise for Mindanao with projects that could be included under the priorities of DA-PRDP. She said that while MinDa is the designated implementing agency for MinPad Rise, they have always had a long-standing relationship with DA-PRDP starting from their original conception as Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) to the present with MinDa’s participation in DA-PRDP’s subprojects as a member of the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) which approves subproject proposals in the regions of Mindanao except in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

I-PLAN Head Cerenio Tila and Procurement Unit Head Mary Nor Gonzales

I-BUILD Head Engr. Ma Fe Gabunales and I-REAP Head Ronnie John Yulo

On the part of DA-PRDP, Director Oñate hoped to strengthen the collaborative efforts between the two organizations in the implementation of their infrastructure subprojects under the Intensified Building up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development or I-BUILD component and also their enterprise subprojects under the   Investment in Rural Enterprise and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity or I-REAP component.

Deputy Project Director Provido highlighted MinDa’s important roles in the implementation of the EU Co-financing grant in both subproject identification or prioritization as well in subproject monitoring in aid of providing guidance to DA-PRDP as a member of the RPAB. According to him, these roles are important to ensure that the overall development framework of the EU remains in place throughout the implementation of the Project.

The €18.3 M EU co-financing grant would focus on prioritizing areas in Mindanao, with the following criteria namely: the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM); low income class LGUs (4th-6th class); conflict-affected areas; and areas with indigenous peoples (IPs). Subprojects for these areas would benefit smallholder farmer & fisher groups and cooperatives, women, and indigenous people.

DPD Provido also presented a list of 35 IBUILD and 48 IREAP subprojects in the pipeline which DA-PRDP is proposing for the implementation of the EU grant. 

MinDa Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” F. Piñol, who prior to heading MinDa, served with MRDP before becoming secretary of the Department of Agriculture, joined in the online meeting and reiterated the shared goals of MinDA and DA-PRDP towards the development of Mindanao.  He hoped for an integrated approach at providing interventions that would complement the strengths of both organizations. (Joseph John Palarca | PSO Mindanao)