BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera will be receiving a total of P4.46 billion from the foreign-assisted Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) dating back to 2014 once the proposed additional funding for the six-year project will be approved by the World Bank (WB).
Danilo Daguio, assistant regional director of the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR), said of the total funding support for identified rural development projects, the region was able to have some 10 projects approved and due for procurement amounting to P1.220 billion while it is awaiting the approval of 26 projects having a total project cost of P3.226 billion.
PRDP is a six-year project with national scope aimed at establishing the government’s platform for a modern, climate-smart and market-oriented agri-fishery sector. The four major components of the project are I-PLAN which provides assistance in the preparation of value chain analysis of priority commodities; I BUILD which intensifies building of infrastructures and logistics for development; I REAP which contains investments in rural enterprises and agriculture and fisheries productivity and I SUPPORT which serves as the implementation support to PRDP by ensuring the establishment of project support offices and regional project coordination offices.
Daguio explained the PRDP aims to increase rural income and enhance farm and fisheries productivity by improving farmers’ and fisherfolks’ access to markets and financing priority local investments in rural infrastructure and enterprise development using a value chain approach.
He added there has been an access demand for I-BUILD sub-projects, specifically farm to market roads, bridges, communal irrigation system, and potable water systems amounting to P34.69 billion as of February 2016.
The DA-CAR officials explained the requested funding amounting to P20.9 billion from the WB shall cover the deficiency in infrastructure development as well as enterprise facilities, operational expenses, additional sub-project proposals.
It was learned that once the requested funding will be approved, PRDP shall have a total project cost of P44 billion which includes the original funding of P23.1 billion and the requested funding of P20.9 billion.
Daguio explained that 70 percent of the total project cost of proponents will be funded by the PRDP, 20 percent will be the counterpart of the national government through the allocations of the agriculture department while 10 percent will be the counterpart of the provincial government concerned to ensure the smooth implementation of the approved projects.
In order to ensure that the Cordillera will be able to secure the approval of the remaining 26 projects for implementation over the remaining four years of the project, the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) approved a resolution approving the additional funding of P20.9 billion for the PRDP of the Department of Agriculture.
Daguio said the pipeline projects were already passed upon by the concerned agency and provided counterparts by the concerned provincial governments, thus, awaiting the major funding support from the PRDP.
