With the goal of involving more local government units in more Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) projects, the Project Support Office – Visayas conducted an orientation on DA-PRDP Scale-up.

Invited local government units across the Visayas cluster were gathered on June 1, 2023 via a hybrid format (virtual and face-to-face) for an orientation, and to go over the guidelines and requirements for subproject application for PRDP Scale-up.

Representatives of the LGUs in the provinces of Antique, Capiz, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Siquijor, Samar, Southern Leyte were all ears and participated during the series of discussions from the different components and units of the DA-PRDP.

PSO Visayas I-PLAN Component Head Imelda Q. Fernandez led the orientation by going through the overall DA-PRDP background and processes. Other component and unit heads were also present to reinforce the activity should the LGUs have concerns and questions.

In a separate orientation activity, RPCO 6 Deputy Project Director Engr. Moises D. Mana-ay called for the support of the LGUs especially in the preparation of needed documents.

“Your support is sought especially on the manpower requirement required for the preparation of technical documents to be submitted to the PRDP and the Bank approval.”

Director Mana-ay further added that the PRDP Scale-up goes beyond the implementation of enterprise and infrastructure subprojects.

“We have gained experiences and learnings which we can use in the upcoming proposal of the DA for the PRDP Scale… With the aim of PRDP, we would like to inform the LGUs that it is not only enterprise and infrastructure that PRDP would like to introduce. Together with the World Bank, we would like to introduce changes in the system of the LGUs on how we do planning and budgeting,” said Director Mana-ay.

The PRDP Scale-Up aims to contribute to developing the sector by improving farmers’ and fisherfolk’s access to markets and increasing income from selected agri-fishery value chains. It targeted to be implemented from 2023 to 2029.