By Lilybeth G. Ison
MANILA, Aug. 24 (PNA) — A team from the World Bank (WB) will be visiting several sub-projects implemented under the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) to assess its progress and address issues and concerns in the implementation.
As of August 2015, the Project has already allotted over PhP12 billion in funds for the implementation of various sub-projects which include farm-to-market roads, bridges, potable water systems and production, processing, and marketing support activities envisioned to boost the value chain of agricultural commodities in the rural areas.
Of the amount, some PhP10.96-billion has been approved for infrastructure projects funding under the Infrastructure Development (I-BUILD) component, while PhP1.62-billion was allocated for production, processing, and marketing activities of agri-fishery products under the Enterprise Development (I-REAP) component.
DA Undersecretary for Operations Emerson Palad, in a press briefing on Monday, said a total of 10 infrastructure projects worth PhP297.61 million are now ongoing and are over 50 percent complete, while 33 other infrastructure projects worth PhP2.02 billion are below 50 percent in progress.
Sixteen sub-projects worth PhP616.85 million have also been approved for implementation, through the issuance of No-Objection Letter 2 (NOL-2) and 124 sub-projects amounting to PhP8 billion have been approved for funding and have been given NOL-1.
Under the I-REAP component, 10 sub-projects worth PhP78.65 million have been approved for funding. Among these is the calamansi marketing and trading project of the Naujan Farmers’ Association in Oriental Mindoro which recently received PhP700,000 from the PRDP.
Last June, the PRDP also transferred some PhP20-million worth of checks to the Polo Samahang Nayon Cooperative to jumpstart their cassava granules production and marketing project.
As PRDP moves to boost the economy in the rural areas through financial grants to rural development projects, the DA said it continues to capacitate the local government units in planning and implementing sub-projects.
“Together with local governments, the academe, the business sector and other grassroots stakeholders, we have endeavored to develop the right tools to determine the right investments for the development of commodities produced by our farmers and fishers,” said DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.
The PRDP has also introduced modern tools to help identify, validate, and monitor sub-projects under the Project.
“We have instituted reforms in planning among local government units using scientific and evidence-based tools that ensure development initiatives on agriculture are responsive to the needs of specific localities. Through these reforms, we contribute to the eradication of patronage politics that perpetuates corruption and hampers delivery of services to areas where these are needed most,” added Alcala.
The Expanded-Vulnerability and Suitability Assessment (E-VSA) Tool for instance, a user online tool that takes account of socioeconomic indicators to help target interventions under the Project.
The Applied Geotagging (AGT), on the other hand, is used to validate and monitor progress of sub-projects under the PRDP. Through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in smartphones, photographs of proposed and implemented sub-projects can be laid out in Google Earth and be viewed online.
With AGT identifying the exact location of projects, ghost and overlapping projects will be avoided.
“Certainly, the PRDP has become an avenue to foster participation, an indispensable element of good governance that this administration promotes. Through the PRDP, we have been able to further mainstream our good governance agenda,” said Alcala.
The World Bank team led by Samik Sundar Das will visit from Aug. 26 to Sept. 18 projects in Palawan for South Luzon cluster, Isabela for North Luzon cluster, Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte for Mindanao cluster, and Bohol for Visayas cluster.
The PRDP is a six-year project under the DA that aims to establish a modern, inclusive, value-chain oriented, and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.
In partnership with LGUs and private sector, PRDP which started in December 2014 and funded by the World Bank (WB), provides key infrastructure, facilities, technology and information to raise income, productivity and competitiveness in targeted areas. (PNA)