World Bank grants P300M in projects to Negros Occ.

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines— Of the $500-million fund that the World Bank (WB) is granting to the whole country for the Philippine Rural Development Program, P300 million will go to Negros Occidental.

Provincial Planning and Development Office coordinator Ma. Lina Sanogal said WB representatives met with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. Wednesday where they revealed that P400 million will be given to Western Visayas. Of the P400 million, P300 million will go to Negros Occidental, she said.

Marañon earlier said that the projects could start this month. The grant is for various development projects such as farm-to-market roads, water projects, ports, irrigation systems and income-generating projects. The program is a poverty alleviation measure aimed at improving the economy.

Sanogal said the WB representatives inspected various project sites in Negros Occidental, being the pilot province in the country for the project.

Marañon earlier explained that Negros Occidental will be the first recipient of a portion of the $500 million since the province was the first to submit a project proposal.

Sanogal said, “Since last year, we have started organizing the provincial project management and implementing units and have conducted series of trainings for all the component units.” Feasibility studies on two farm-to-market roads in northern Negros had also been conducted, she added.

The P400-million grant from the WB is for the mascuvado sugar project of the province, which encompasses infrastructure projects like farm-to-market roads, water systems and irrigation system, Sanogal said.

There are seven sites for the mascuvado projects in the province, located in the cities of Sagay, Bago, Kabankalan and Talisay and the town of La Castellana, she said.

The governor said that the Department of Agriculture and the local government units will have a counterpart in all of the identified WB-funded projects, with the provincial government tasked on identifying the projects it wants to be covered by the program.

Under the counterparting agreement, for every project, 80 percent will come from the WB, 10 percent from the DA, and 10 percent from the recipient LGU. (FREEMAN)