The World Bank team visited recently the projects in Mindanao as part of the 7th review mission for the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project.

PRDP Task team leader and WB Lead Agriculture Economist Frauke Jungbluth said this review mission will emphasize more on the importance of quality projects and the impact to these projects to the beneficiaries.

“As you have always known, we visit to evaluate where and what aspect the Project has been strong, here it needs to improve and what we can help to improve the implementation for the rest of the Project’s life (in 2020),” Jungbluth said.

The WB team which included Economist Hanane Ahmed, Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist Jonas Bautista, and Senior Procurement Specialist Dominic Aumentado visited two project sites in Region12 (Soccsksargen), the Improvement of Malandag-Datal-Batong farm-to-market road Phase 1 in Malungon, Sarangani, and Enhancement of Production and Marketing of Dried Green Coffee Beans in Tupi, South Cotabato.

Ahead of this 7th WB visit, Mindanao cluster has already cornered total of P15.47 billion in infrastructure and agri-enterprises implemented across the six regions in Mindanao.

Under the infrastructure development (IBUILD) component, PRDP has earmarked P14.85 billion for Mindanao cluster or 33% of the total PRDP portfolio. North Luzon cluster got 32 percent; South Luzon chipped 20 percent while Visayas got 16 percent.

During this reporting period, PRDP in Mindanao has completed a total of 69 agricultural infrastructures amounting P2.18 billion. This completed projects included a total of 204.25 kilometers of concreted farm-to-market roads; 69 liner meters of bridge; 3 level-two potable water supplies; and 3 solar dryers and warehouses.

On enterprise development (IREAP) component, Mindanao has 99 subprojects underway worth P621.22 million. Of this number, 2 subprojects have been completed amounting to P9.57 million.

During the two-day project site visit, the World Bank team assessed the actual project site and completed sections of the ongoing FMR and the coffee production areas and construction site for the post-harvest facilities of the IREAP subproject.

The team also had a chance to meet some of the beneficiaries
where they aired out their concern from project implementation and how it has positively
improved their lives.

During the meeting the Provincial counterparts of PRDP, Jungbluth emphasized to give importance to the concern of our beneficiaries. She encouraged to maximize the use of the Grievance Redress Mechanism of the project.

PRDP in Mindanao has benefited a total of 729,757 farmers and fisherfolk, where 49% of which comprise women beneficiaries.

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