THE World Bank has expressed satisfaction with the P27.5-billion Philippine Rural Development Project (PRPD) in Mindanao following a review mission in the region, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA said the World Bank team is currently visiting and assessing different project sites under the PRDP.
“I am very happy with what I’ve seen. A lot of planned and developed subprojects have come into actual implementation,” World Bank Task Team Leader for PRDP Frauke Jungbluth said in a statement. The World Bank Second Review Mission for PRDP sought to evaluate both the project’s infrastructure and enterprise development components, from planning and support up to their implementation.
Two teams from the World Bank visited the recently approved P26-million cacao production and marketing enterprise project in Barangay Subasta, Calinan, in Davao City and the P78.8-million farm-to-market road (FMR) in Barangay Binancian, Asuncion, Davao del Norte.
Jungbluth said the involvement of the 18 cacao-farmer cooperatives in the projects is a “very positive impact in the attainment of PRDP’s development objective.”
“It is exactly the type of project we would like to see more of. [It is a] value-chain oriented [project] that addresses a large number of farmers,” Jungbluth said.
The implementation of the Binancian FMR was also found to be satisfactory by the World Bank infrastructure team, headed by Engr. Raoul Azanza.
“There were no critical issues found along the road. The executed portions of the road were satisfactory,” Azanza said, adding that the progress must be sustained by the contractor until the project completion. The FMR will cover 8 kilometers and will benefit about 1,900 residents of the community. Currently, it has an accomplishment rating of 16.7 percent and is expected to be completed by November 2016.
As of March 2016, the DA said Mindanao has a total indicative portfolio of P12.87 billion under the infrastructure development component. Region 11 led the portfolio with P3.2 billion worth of subprojects.
Under the enterprise component, Mindanao has a total portfolio of P627 million. Region 12 leads with four approved subprojects amounting to P98.25 million.
PRDP is a six-year special program of the DA focused on establishing a “modern, value-chain oriented, and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.” It is implemented through the partnership of the DA, the WB and local government units.