RURAL ROAD. A village in Maasin City, Southern Leyte included for farm-to-market road construction as approved in 2022 in this Feb. 10, 2023 photo. At least five farm-to-market roads in Eastern Visayas worth PHP725 million have been endorsed for funding under the Philippine Rural Development Project funded by the World Bank. (Photo courtesy of Department of Agriculture)
TACLOBAN CITY – At least five farm-to-market roads in the Eastern Visayas region worth PHP725 million have been endorsed for funding under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) funded by the World Bank.
Jenny Lyn Almeria, Department of Agriculture - PRDP regional deputy project coordinator, said the regional project advisory board (RPAB) endorsed these projects during its first meeting for the year.
“The need for these to be deliberated by RPAB is for these to be enrolled for prioritization of PRDP projects nationwide, as the team is now working on the scale-up which is expected for launching between June-December 2023,” Almeria said Friday.
These projects include the improvement of Cambaguio- San Andres farm-to-market road (FMR) in Villareal town, Samar province; concreting of Libas- Kauswagan FMR in Sogod, Southern Leyte province; construction of Paa-Imelda Marcos-Tambis-Sta. Margarita-Marangog FMR in Hilongos town, Leyte; construction of Camparanga-Manahaw-San Ramon-Canjumadal FMR in Pambujan town, Northern Samar; and concreting of Magsaysay- Somoroy FMR in Bobon town, Northern Samar.
“As we want to help our farmers and our beneficiaries in the countryside, we are hoping that by conducting this RPAB review, our initial steps could turn into a big help,” Almeria added.
Unlike regular infrastructure project, PRDP-included projects must be an intervention based on the identified provincial commodity investment plan.
There are a series of procedures and protocols need to be followed before PRDP accepts any project, Almeria explained.
The inter-agency RPAB reviews and approves all projects before getting the nod of the Visayas Project Support Office, National Project Coordination Office, and the World Bank.
The PRDP is a six-year project of the Department of Agriculture nationwide that aims to modernize and improve the resilience of the fisheries and agriculture sectors.
The six-year rural development project is worth PHP27.5 billion funded through a World Bank loan worth PHP20.56 billion, and PHP7 billion in counterpart funds from the central government and local government units. (PNA)
