PRDP exceeds H1 target area coverage

MANILA, Philippines - The World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has exceeded its target areas for engagement within the first semester of its implementation, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said yesterday.

The Agriculture chief said 66 out of the targeted 80 provinces have already been engaged within the planning phase that is supposed to be concluded in June 2015.

The project implementers originally targeted to engage 20 provinces in the first year of implementation.

Alcala said 29 provinces out of the 66 have already approved, through their provincial councils, commodity investment plans for key crops in their areas.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the World Bank last week conducted a review on the progress of the PRDP, which is still in the planning stage.

The PRDP, rolled out beginning the second semester of 2014, is a six-year program implemented by the DA with the World Bank for the creation of an inclusive, value-oriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.

The total project cost for the PRDP is P27.5 billion consisting of a P20.5-billion loan from the World Bank, P3.58-billion counterpart funding from the national government, P3.112-billion equity of local government units, and P287-million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The PRDP builds on the innovations introduced by the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) that was concluded in 2013. It will cover 80 provinces in 16 regions.

“For these gains we are grateful to the heads and staff of various DA operating units, our agriculture sector partners and the members of the World Bank-PRDP Task Team. We have witnessed the dynamic process that gave birth to this holistic and innovative concept of rural development.  We have also seen the overwhelming reception and the progress achieved since the pre-implementation,” Alcala said.

The DA has so far temporarily waived the value chain analysis requirement for provinces in central Philippines still reeling from the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda to expedite the release of production assistance funds under the PRDP.

PRDP deputy program director Arnel de Mesa said waiving the requirement, albeit temporarily, would enable these local government units to immediately avail of the counterpart funding scheme under the PRDP to support the production of its main agricultural commodities.

It takes about three to six months to conduct a value chain analysis for commodities. 

In line with the waiver, around P80 million worth of enterprise projects-mostly processing-have been pipelined for implementation in central Philippines. Around P2.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects have also been programmed for implementation.

Local government units covered by the waiver on the conduct of a value chain analysis would still have to present a commodities investment plan to avail of counterpart funding.

Upon release of finding assistance, the DA would tailor fit the business proposal to the actual needs of the community.

Yolanda-affected provinces may be able to download funds from the program by the first quarter of the year.

The PRDP provides for a value chain analysis for 25 priority agricultural commodities in the country including coffee, rubber, mango and seaweeds.

A value chain analysis is used to identify public and private investment opportunities through the identification of the status of a particular industry, the linkages among players and the interventions that can be implemented to develop the industry.