Baguio City – The Philippine Rural Development Project – Regional Project Advisory Board (PRDP-RPAB) here, approved six projects for implementation in the Cordillera, subject to the final approval by the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) through the Project Support Office (PSO).

Approved by the PRDP-RPAB-CAR were four Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) proposals under the Intensified Building up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) Component and two enterprise development subprojects (SPs) under the Investments in Rural Enterprise and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (I-REAP) Component.

The approved SPs under I-BUILD component include the Improvement of Catabbogan-Wagud FMR in Pinukpuk, Kalinga worth P203,063,008.58, the Improvement of Pula-Cawayan-Camandag FMR in Asipulo, Ifugao worth P218,449,878.28, and two FMRs in Benguet namely the Improvement along Jose Mencio FMR and the Improvement of Km. 49-Ambackian FMR with estimated project costs of P209,414,000.00 and P207,962,000.00 respectively.

The Board also approved the following I-REAP SPs to include the Mountain Province Arabica Coffee Enterprise, and the Benguet Arabica Coffee Enterprise with a total estimated project cost amounting to PhP 27,567,735.93 including civil works for both SPs.

The SPs were reviewed and returned to the proponents by the RPAB for enhancement and inclusion of suggestions and recommendations made and endorsed to the NPCO review and issuance of No Objection Letter (NOL1).

Prior to the RPAB meeting, personnel from the NPCO, PSO and Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) have initially reviewed, the technical and financial viability of the SPs.

The RPAB is tasked to review and approve all subprojects at the regional level and provides advisory and guidance to improve Project performance. It is chaired by DA’s Regional Executive Director Atty. Cipriano G. Santiago, with members represented by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Regional Agri-Fishery Council (RAFC). (Elvy S. Taquio, RPCO-CAR InfoACE)

(L-F)Gov. Leonard Mayaen, Mt. Province; Governor Denis B. Habawel, Ifugao; Governor Jocel Baac, Kalinga (represented by Atty. Valleriano Banggolay, Jr, Provincial Administrator of Kalinga) and, Governor Nestor Fongwan of Benguet were present to give support to their respective PPMIU officers during the RPAB meeting and to witness the approval thereof for endorsement to the PSO/NPCO.