The World Bank Team, led by Task Team Leader Frauke Jungbluth, visited three Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) subprojects in Ilocos Region during the last leg of the 4^th World Bank Implementation Support Mission held from May 23-25, 2017.

The three subprojects which were visited include: the P115-million Rehabilitation of the Balecbec-Basca Farm to Market Road and Balecbec Bridge in Naguilian and Aringay, La Union; the P67-million Rehabilitation of Nalasin-Sungadan-Langiden Farm to Market Road in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; and, the P13.1-million Production and Marketing of Fresh Carabao Mangoes Enterprise by the Cabugao Mango Farmers Multi-Purpose Association in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur. These subprojects are all in support to the mango commodity of Ilocos Region.

The WB team gave positive evaluations of the above-mentioned subprojects (e.g. the construction of a permanent classroom type field office to be donated as classroom after the Project), save from minor comments (i.e. guaranteeing the non-usage of inorganic chemicals in the production of mangoes and assuring the climate-resiliency of the infrastructures).

During the Mission kick-off, Ms. Jungbluth encouraged PRDP implementers to highlight not only the impacts listed in subproject proposals, but also the impacts which arise as implementation progresses.

“When you go out and see the completed subprojects and you talk to beneficiaries and you notice additional things that they tell you that sound like a benefit of the PRDP subproject, [to] record those and next time try to include them in your analysis. … Like for example, for the roads, we keep recording on the reduction in hauling cost…reduction in the price per sack of transport, which is correct, but I’m sure there is also something to be said about the production of the commodity being transported…Your overall impact is actually bigger than your reporting,” Jungbluth said.

The World Bank Team also sat in a focus group discussion with the Ilocos Sur Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit (PPMIU) who hosted the mission and asked about ways to improve and expedite project approval and implementation under PRDP. The PPMIU identified the voluminous requirements and changing subproject forms as bottlenecks. The World Bank, however, explained that quality cannot be compromised for the simplification of the Project’s processes.

The Team also encouraged the Local Government Units and farmers they visited to propose more enterprise subprojects under the PRDP to support priority commodities. The Project’s enterprise component has remaining funds available for interested proponents.

At present, the Ilocos Region has a P1.3 billion total portfolio of infrastructure subprojects and P233-million of enterprise subprojects. These subprojects are expected to benefit around 67,788 people in the region.

In Feburary 2015, the Ilocos Region first hosted the World Bank Pre-Implementation Support Mission wherein the Team visited the then proposed Rehabilitation of the Balecbec-Basca Farm to Market Road and Balecbec Bridge in Naguilian and Aringay, La Union and the Production and Marketing of Fresh Carabao Mangoes Enterprise in Bauang, La Union.

The WB will return in July 2017 for the PRDP Midterm Assessment, which results will be crucial to the approval of the Project’s additional $450 million funding. (Dessa U. Estrada, DA-PRDP RPCO1 InfoACE)

World Bank Engr. Raoul Azanza cross-checks the DED and POW with actual implementation activities during the WB Team visitation in the Rehabilitation of Nalasin-Sungadan-Langiden FMR in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Cabugao Mango Farmers and Multi-Purpose Association President Faith Sabio presents the Production and Marketing of Fresh Carabao Mangoes Enterprise business plan before the World Bank Team during the conduct of the 4th World Bank Implementation Support Mission in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.