DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 Dec) – Around P12 billion in various infrastructure projects will be implemented in Mindanao next year.
Sherwin Manual, information unit head of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP)-Mindanao said in an interview Thursday that they expect a massive implementation of at least 172 infrastructure subprojects in several areas in Mindanao in 2019, mostly farm-to-market roads, bridges, potable water supply facilities, and irrigation systems.
He said the P12-billion budget would come from the P14.853 billion in accumulated budget of the PRDP from 2014 until 2022 for infrastructure projects which have yet to be implemented pending compliance of all documentary requirements.
Manual said the PRDP-Mindanao has so far completed P2.2 billion in infrastructure projects.
Engr. Danilo Alesna, PRDP-Mindanao deputy project director, said they aim to increase by at least 5% the annual income of farmers, 7% increase in the value of marketed output, 20% increase in access of farmers to the services of the Department of Agriculture, and 30% increase in incomes of those direct beneficiaries of their enterprise development programs.
The PRDP is a six-year (2014-2020) development platform of the national government, which seeks to partner with the LGUs and the private sector in providing key infrastructures, facilities, technology and information.
But with additional funds of $450 million or equivalent to P23.66 billion (Exchange rate: P52.6 as of Thursday) approved this year, Alesna said the World Bank committed to extend PRDP up to 2022.
Since it started in 2014, the PRDP received a total of P27.5 billion, more than half went to I-BUILD (P18.54 billion), I-REAP (P6.93 billion), and Investments in AFMP Planning at the Local and National Levels or I-PLAN, and Implementation Support to PRDP or I-SUPPORT (P1.23 billion) nationwide.
Alesna added that they are reviewing more projects from the local government units that seek funding from the PRDP.
“Now, if the other clusters will not make haste of their proposals, definitely it will come to Mindanao. As of now, we have so many proposals. If Luzon and Visayas failed to deliver then we will get those appropriations,” he said.
Alesna said they follow the specific guidelines of the World Bank and the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) and Value Chain Analysis (VCA) in the selection of the project proposals of the LGUs in the target areas.
The PCIP is a strategic plan that rationalizes the interventions within the various segments of the value chain of commodities that are significant in the province and that will contribute to the national goals of the agriculture and fishery sector.
The VCA provides farmer-entrepreneurs relevant inputs to identify and develop the linkage and interrelationships between activities that create value, profitability and competitive advantage of a certain commodity aligning the segments of the value chain.
He said they utilize geo-tagging technology to facilitate an easy and accurate location of infrastructure, livelihood and agri-fishery facilities on a map and to enable virtual monitoring and supervision of subproject implementation. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)