The Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) in Ilocos Region endorsed PRDP infrastructure subprojects worth Php392.6 million in its 18^th meeting held at the 5^th Floor Conference Room, Department of Agriculture, San Fernando City, La Union on November 20, 2018. The endorsement is the biggest amount of infrastructure subprojects passed in a single meeting since the start of Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in Ilocos Region in 2014.

The endorsed subprojects include the Construction of Dagupan Level II Potable Water System (PWS) in the Municipality of Vintar, Ilocos Norte; the Improvement of San Gabriel II Farm to Market Road (FMR) with Bridge in the Municipality of Bayambang, Pangasinan; the Rehabilitation and Road Opening of Cabalayangan-Sta. Monica FMR in the Municipality of Bauang, La Union; and the Rehabilitation of the Ramot-Puguil FMR in the Municipality of Santol, La Union.

Vintar’s proposed Dagupan Level II PWS will build three (3) water reservoirs supplied with water by a natural spring. Connecting to the water reservoirs are fifty (5) tap stands that are targeted to supply water for four (4) to five (5) households each. The Dagupan Level II PWS is the second PWS subproject proposed by the Municipality of Vintar, Ilocos Norte under the PRDP and has an estimated project cost of Php5,456,000. The Municipality’s first PWS proposal is the San Jose PWS which is targeted to be accomplished by February 2019.

Meanwhile, the Municipality of Bayambang, Pangasinan obtained the RPAB endorsement for its first ever PRDP subproject, the Improvement of San Gabriel II FMR with Bridge. The Php80.373 million-FMR subproject is proposed to support the onion commodity in the Province of Pangasinan. The FMR measures 1.905 kilometers, while the bridge measures 60 linear meters. Among the major objectives of the FMR-bridge subproject is to expand the onion production area by up to 85 hectares within the rural influence area.

The Municipality of Bauang, La Union, likewise, obtained the RPAB endorsement for its first PRDP infrastructure subproject, the Rehabilitation and Road Opening of Cabalayangan-Sta. Monica FMR. The FMR subproject is strategically located near the mango enterprise subproject proposal of the Pal-lim Multi-Purpose Cooperative. It measures 3.16 kilometers and has an estimated subproject cost of Php67,264,000.

During the meeting, the Province of La Union proposed the largest infrastructure subproject in Ilocos Region amounting to Php239,775,852.94. The Rehabilitation of the Ramot-Puguil FMR is located in the Municipality of Santol, La Union and measures seven (7) kilometers. It is aimed to support the mango commodity in the Province of La Union.

All the FMR subprojects approved by the Board have 8-inch thick, 5-meter concrete pavement, 1.5-meter gravel shoulders on both sides, and one-meter drainage/canal on both sides.

During the meeting, no representative from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was present. As such, the Board agreed to conditionally approve the proposals subject to further recommendations from the DPWH. After complying with the DPWH recommendations of the DPWH, the infrastructure subprojects will be subjected to another series of review by the Luzon A Project Support Office (PSO) and the National Project Coordination Office prior to the issuance of No Objection Letter (NOL). #