KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/30 July) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 unveiled on Thursday its newly-completed P75-million field office at the regional government center complex here in the presence of local and congressional officials.
Dubbed “Agri-Pinoy Center,” the three-story modern facility was formally inaugurated by DA regional and national officials led by Secretary Proceso Alcala in festive rites on Thursday morning at its site in Barangay Carpenter Hill.
“After almost a decade of waiting, we finally have a permanent home here in Region 12,” Alcala said.
He urged DA-12 officials and personnel to complement the completion of their new field office with better and more efficient services.
The new DA-12 field office building was completed earlier this month after nearly 11 months of construction.
The project’s construction and development works started in August last year after its contract was awarded to Cotabato City-based firm FFFJ Construction Company.
A briefer said the project’s funding was approved by the DA central office under the DA-12’s budget in 2013.
It said the procurement and other related processes involved in the project were in accordance to the provisions of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act as undertaken by the bids and awards committee of the DA central office.
Koronadal City was designated as Region 12’s regional center by virtue of Executive Order (EO) 304 issued in March 2004 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
EO 304 also sets the immediate transfer of all regional line agencies, departments and offices from Cotabato City, the previous regional center, to Koronadal City.
DA-12, along with its attached agencies, immediately transferred to the area but opted to lease office buildings and spaces within the city proper due to the huge financial requirements of building a permanent office structure.
Zaldy Boloron, DA-12’s regional technical director for operations, said they are targeting to fully transfer to their new offices by January next year.
He said they have yet to acquire the necessary furniture and other fixtures of the office building.
“We will need around P10 million to P15 million for that,” he told MindaNews.
Boloron added that the agency gained some savings from the project through the transparent and competitive bidding as well as efficient preparatory works. (MindaNews)