By Henry Empeño/ Correspondent
IBA, Zambales—The Department of Agriculture in Region 3 (DA-3) has approved the implementation of two projects by local farmers’ cooperatives in Zambales, allocating P1 million to each of them under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
According to Letty Viernes, manager of the Zambales Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), which is coordinating the local projects, the DA-3 represented by Director Andrew B. Villacorta has already signed separate Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) for mung-bean production and farm-ready vegetable seedling production.
Villacorta is the director of the Project Support Office, which maintains the enterprise development component of the PRDP.
Viernes said the first project was proposed by the Botolan Muna Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMMPC) in the municipality of Botolan, while the second was proposed by the Zambales Vegetable Farmers Marketing Cooperative based in San Antonio town.
“The first project, which is the mung-bean production, has already been awarded to the proponent,” Viernes said on Monday. The check was formally awarded by Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala when he visited Iba last Tuesday to distribute implements and equipment to local farmers and fisherfolk.
Viernes said they hope to get the funding for the second project soon, “pending the completion of some more requirements,” she added.
The projects will be undertaken under the PRDP, which is designed to support government efforts to reduce poverty among rural communities of the 81 provinces in the country. The project is funded through a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development-World Bank.
According to the management agreement for the mung-bean project, the subproject is estimated to cost a total of P2,081,000, with the portion of the Enterprise Project Fund at P1 million.
For this, the DA will make available from the loan proceeds P600,000 while the provincial government will put up a counterpart fund of P200,000 or 20 percent.
Meanwhile, the BMMPC, which is the proponent group, will contribute at least 20 percent in cash or in kind, or a total of P1,081,000 as incremental enterprise cost.
The same formula will be used for the other project, Viernes said.
Last year the PPDO also coordinated the preparation of some proposals for PRDP funding for projects to further develop the local mango industry, specifically the establishment of mango trading facilities. The proponents are still completing requirements for these projects, Viernes said.