Farmers and fisherfolk across Mindanao will meet representatives of the World Bank (WB) as the latter conducts a month-long assessment of the impacts of the antipoverty program implemented in southern Philippines.
The WB team will visit all six regions in Mindanao during the 5th World Bank review mission for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) starting last September 28 until October 29, 2010.
The review mission is a bi-annual activity to see operational performance, physical, and financial progress of the implementation, said WB senior officer and review task team leader Felizardo Virtucio Jr.
MRDP is a five-year poverty-alleviation initiative geared towards uplifting lives of poor rural communities by providing economic opportunities and reinforcing local government units’ (LGUs) mandate of devolved delivery of services.
The program’s funding comprises a US$123.57 million loan portfolio from WB, and the counterpart share of the national government and the LGUs.
“There are two development objectives that the program will be measured on. First, an improved livelihood opportunities for small farmers and fisherfolk and second institutionalization of a decentralized delivery of agriculture and fishery services,” Virtucio said during the kick-off activity held September 28 in a hotel in Davao City.
The first leg of visits will include farmer beneficiaries of the irrigation project in Sulop town and tribal group having banana (lacatan) production in Sta. Cruz town, both in the province of Davao del Sur; and the Muslim community which benefited from a potable water system and coastal community implementing mangrove rehabilitation project in the province of Davao Oriental.
In the ensuing weeks, the team will visit Central Mindanao (Region 12), the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Caraga (Region 13), Northern Mindanao (region 10) and Western Mindanao (Region 9), respectively.
DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, in his message delivered by SPCMAD director Roy Abaya, said he is glad that the Program is heading in the same direction as the DA’s Agri-Pinoy Program.
“Agri-Pinoy, the administration’s agriculture program and MRDP, are both headed o, a path towards attaining national food security by channeling our funds to where they matter most, and where they are really needed, and by involving more farmers, non-government organizations (NGOs), the LGUs and the private sector in pursuing sustainable agricultural development in the country,” Alcala said.
Meanwhile, MRDP director Lealyn A. Ramos said the tangible results of the program are proof of the improved partnership between DA and LGUs in Mindanao .
“We have seen the impacts of the program, so I convey my deepest gratitude to LGUs who remained loyal to the program, and to the agriculture department despite the challenges we met before,” she said in acknowledging the important roles of local chief executives, many of whom were in attendance at the kick-off activity.
“However, Mindanao still needs more investments in agriculture. I encourage enrolled LGUs to propose more projects and tap the bulk of funds that we still have to capitalize on the program,” added Ramos who is also serving as regional executive director of DA region 10.
To date, the Program’s Rural Infrastructure (RI) component has completed a total of P222 million worth of agricultural infrastructure.
The completed projects include a total of 103.53 kilometers of farm-to-market roads; some 77.60 meters of single lane bridges; a communal irrigation system covering 100 hectares of ricefields; and five units of potable water systems.
A total of P121.94 million worth of livelihood projects are ongoing, ranging from livestock breeding, high value crops production, organic fertilizer production and small infrastructure like footbridges, solar driers and warehouses. Another P41.244 million has been downloaded to LGUs implementing environmental conservation projects.
Along with Virtucio, the WB team also includes CFAD consultant Ines Bagadion, IGR consultant Luninning Bondoc, NRM consultant Gilbert Branganza, monitoring and evaluation consultant Fabricio Briciani, social and environmental safeguards Jonas Bautista, infrastrucutre consultant Salvador Jiao, procurement specialist Noel Sta. Ines, financial specilaist Tomas Sta. Maria; and international consultant for midterm review Douglas Forno. [Sherwin B. Manual]
