Governors of provinces in Western Visayas pledged their all-out commitment to support the subprojects implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

“The DA-PRDP is a big project that covers infrastructure and enterprise for rural development,” said Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Sr. “And we know that support from the local government is a vital cog for the project to be successful.”

Defensor said local governments should take the initiative so they can avail themselves of the different subprojects that are supported by the DA-PRDP.

In the province of Iloilo, there are ongoing infrastructure projects under the Project’s Intensified Building Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development component: the rehabilitation of the 29-kilometer Imbang Grande-Tagubong-Gemumua Agahon-Agtabo farm-to-market road in Passi City; the rehabilitation of the Parara-Jamog farm-to-market road in Tigbauan; and the concreting of Poblacion to Tacuyong Norte farm-to-market road in Leon. Documentary requirements for other infrastructure projects are being complied with.

In addition, enterprises identified in Iloilo’s provincial commodity investment plan—cattle fattening, goat production, piglet production, swine fattening, and vermicompost production and marketing—are also getting support from the DA-PRDP through its Investments for Rural Enterprises and Agricultural and Fisheries Productivity Development component.

Meanwhile, Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores, also expressed his gratitude to the DA-PRDP for the infrastructure and enterprise subprojects in the province.

In Aklan, the rehabilitation and improvement of the Banga-Libacao farm-to-market road with bridge is done halfway, while the subproject concreting of Barangay Pampango-Rosal-Luctuga-Manika farm-to-market road with four bridges was begun a few months ago.

Enterprises in the province of Aklan like oyster and mussel production and marketing; native chicken restocking/production and marketing; coconut mini oil mill for the production of small-scale coco-based crude oil and copra cakes; and abaca fiber production, consolidation and trading are also getting support.

Defensor’s and Miraflores’s commitments of support to the DA-PRDP came after a series of meetings with the Western Visayas local chief executives, which was organized by the Regional Project Coordination Office 6 (RPCO 6).

“These meetings with the local chief executives is our response to Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol’s call to engage the local governments in rural development,” said Manuel O. Olanday, deputy project director of the DA-PRDP’s RPCO 6.

He also urged the local chief executives to “grab this opportunity so we can deliver assistance to our farmers and fisherfolk through various projects.” (John Paul Firmalino Cadiz, RPCO 6 InfoACE, Writer)