Capitol proposes P250M projects for DA funding

CEBU, Philippines- A total of P250 million worth of projects to be funded by the Department of Agriculture under the Philippine Rural Development Project has been proposed by the Cebu provincial government.

The projects include farm-to-market roads and a water system. The project proposals are now subject for review and approval.

Estella Rodriquez, project management officer of the PRDP, said that the province‘s subproject proposals will be presented for evaluation and assessment during the Regional Project Advisory Board meeting on March 12.

The advisory body is part of the PDRP’s implementation structure.

The province is proposing 20-kilometer farm-to-market road subprojects worth P187 million. These road links include the 3.1 kilometer road extending from Barangay Dapdap to Tambongon; Dapdap to Toong road (1.14 km); and Toong to Ba-tad road (1.57 km) all in San Remigio.

Other road openings include the 5.8 km from Anonang Sur in Bogo City to Lambusan in San Remigio; the 2.76 km road from Barangay Kinawahan to Canagahanl in San Remigio; and the 6.6 km road from Barangays Agujo to Lanao to Tapilon in Daanbantayan town.

Rodriquez said the province is pushing for the farm-to-market road to provide local farmers, especially in northern towns which bore the brunt of super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, easy transportation of their inputs and access to market.

 The Capitol has set aside P30 million as 10-percent counterpart for the projects under PRDP.  Other subprojects proposed by the province are the P62 million water system in Alegria town, and the P1 million for Cassava Production and Marketing as livelihood.

Rodriquez explained that the FMR and Alegria water system subprojects can only be implemented once they get the “No Objection Letter (NOL)-1” and NOL-2 from the National Project Coordination Office and the World Bank, respectively.

 The NOL-1 can be awarded after the RPAB review and approval, she added. The NOL-1 signals the local government unit to proceed with the publication of the invitation to bid. As to the P1 million livelihood, Rodriquez said subprojects below P15 million only need NOL-1.

 Rodriquez added that the province is hoping that the implementation could be undertaken in June this year. The PRDP is part of the P27.5-billion six-year program of the DA that aims to reduce poverty and create livelihood opportunities, according to DA’s official website.  (FREEMAN)