GUBAT, SORSOGON – About two months after the Philippine Rural Development Project’s (PRDP’s) training on Community Participation (CP) for Local Government Units (LGUs) and Proponent Group Procurement Committees, calamity-stricken fisherfolk in Gubat and Prieto Diaz received 20 non-motorized fiberglass boats worth P20,500 each.

On July 3, the Rural Improvement Club of Bagacay and Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association were awarded with 10 non-motorized fiberglass boats each which they purchased using the PRDP’s CP mode of procurement. Under CP and Community Force Account (CFA), each proponent group organized a procurement committee composed of a chairman and two members who took charge of getting quotations from three suppliers. They then assessed the submitted quotations and prepared the abstract of quotations prior to the awarding of purchase order to the winning supplier.

This is part of the Project’s effort to capacitate its beneficiaries in adopting the PRDP procurement method in their own organizations’ procurement process.

“Makabagong procurement process ang ginamit ta digdi para mapadali ang proyekto nindo kaya mas madali su pagbakal kan saindong mga baroto (We used modern procurement process here to fast track the implementation of your project, that is why these boats were easily purchased),” PRDP Bicol Deputy Project Director and I-REAP Component Head Adelina Losa said.

Losa added that PRDP uses geotagging technology, another innovative tool pioneered by the Project, in all procurement activities. She encouraged the provincial LGU to submit proposals for infrastructure development (I-BUILD) that will support the microenterprise subprojects.

PRDP-Bicol Deputy Project Director and I-REAP Component Head Adelina Losa shares the PRDP’s modern approach in procurement using the community participation and community force account to fast track the project implementation during the Ceremony on the Turn-Over of Fiberglass Non-Motorized Boats held on July 3, 2017. (Photo by Hermito Antonio Privaldos, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Candelaria Esplana, chairperson of the Carayat Seaweed Farmers’ Association, said that Typhoon Nona totally devastated the seaweed farmers’ sources of livelihood. They were clueless about where to begin until they were associated with the PRDP’s enterprise development (I-REAP) component. Esplana mentioned that the fiberglass boats, which are of higher quality, will enable them to do deep-sea seaweed farming.

Yolanda de Leon, chairperson of the Rural Improvement Club of Bagacay, narrated how her organization suffered from the damage caused by Typhoon Nona. A Gawad Saka 2015 awardee for the National Outstanding RIC category, the organization used its P350,000 cash prize to replant seaweeds. Through the new non-motorized fiberglass boats, de Leon is assured that she and other members can easily gather their seaweeds whenever there is an impending typhoon. She added that these will help increase their volume of production as they plan to expand their market for dried seaweeds.

PRDP replaces seaweed farmers’ wooden boats with non-motorized fiberglass boats to help them recoup from their losses after Typhoon Nona. (Photo by Hermito Antonio Privaldos, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Using the CP, PRDP will also provide 25 tons of seaweed propagules to five proponent groups with approved microenterprise subprojects in Sorsogon’s calamity-stricken areas. On May 15, 2017, 20 non-motorized fiberglass boats were delivered to the Samahang Mangingisda ng Tomalaytay and the Samahang Mangingisda ng Gimaloto. Ten more non-motorized fiberglass boats will be delivered to Cogon Fisherfolk Organization in Castilla on July 14. ### (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Geotagged photos of the non-motorized fiberglass boats delivered to Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association. PRDP uses geotagging technology in all procurement activities. (Photo by PPMIU-Sorsogon)

mbers of Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association carry their newly delivered non-motorized fiberglass boat to the sea. (Photo by Hermito Antonio Privaldos, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Twenty PRDP-funded non-motorized fiberglass boats were delivered to the members of the Rural Improvement Club of Bagacay and Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association in Gubat and Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon on July 3, 2017. (Photo by Hermito Antonio Privaldos, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

PRDP replaces seaweed farmers’ wooden boats with non-motorized fiberglass boats to help them recoup from their losses after Typhoon Nona. (Photo by Hermito Antonio Privaldos, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)