For the first two years of implementation, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) saw a large number of Farm-to-Market-Road (FMR) and bridge construction proposals. PRDP was even dubbed as the “Philippine Road Development Project” for it has funded mostly roads and bridges subprojects.

Due to this and to encourage LGUs to propose for other rural infrastructures, PRDP placed priority to Communal Irrigation System (CIS), Potable Water System (PWS), and other rural infrastructure such as post-harvest facilities (e.g. solar dryer, tramline, packaging center, warehouse, etcetera).

Engr. Eleanor Blanco, Regional Project Coordination Office 1 (RPCO 1) Intensified Building Up of Infrastructures for Logistics and Development (I-BUILD) Component Head, announced the new prioritization scheme of PRDP infrastructure subprojects during a coordination meeting with proponent Local Government Units (LGUs) at Fiesta Garden Hotel, Bantay, Ilocos Sur on February 8-10, 2016.

RPCO 1 Project Dir. Valentino C. Perdido, who presided the said meeting, challenged the proponent LGUs to implement successfully the NOL-issued subprojects and to propose for additional subprojects under PRDP given more stringent requirements.

Under the new prioritization scheme, the performance of proponent LGUs in implementing approved infrastructure subprojects will be crucial for qualifying to implement additional subprojects under the PRDP. As such, Engr. Blanco also reminded the proponent LGUs of the guidelines on implementation slippages.

When negative slippage reaches five to ten percent, the proponent LGU shall issue a first warning letter to the contractor. When the same reaches ten to 15 percent, the proponent LGU shall issue a second and final warning letter to the contractor.  The second letter shall state that the subproject will be terminated unless the slippage is reduced to less than 15 percent within the next 30 days and maintained as such in the next 60 days.

Also, aside from FMR and bridges being placed second to CIS, PWS, and other rural infrastructures, proponent LGUs with approved proposals under the PRDP shall also be second in priority to those without. The Project provided score sheets for the prioritization of infrastructure subprojects.

The new prioritization scheme of infrastructure subprojects is expected to increase the number of approved CIS, PWS, and other rural infrastructures aside from FMR and bridges. In Ilocos Region, site validations for proposals on CIS, PWS, and other infrastructures are on-going. (Dessa Estrada, DA-PRDP Ilocos InfoACE)