A monthly newsletter of the Philippine Rural Development Project Vol. 5 Issue 2 National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) February 2021 PRDP continues to build on its rural infra dev’t in accordance with “One DA” approach Actual I-BUILD outputs as of December 2020 Recognized as a viable Deputy Project Director Shandy a total of 1,045 kilometers (km) platform in implementing Hubilla highlighted the Project’s and 883 meters (m) of roads and Department of Agriculture (DA) accomplishments in rural bridges had been constructed, Secretary William Dar’s “One DA” infrastructure development, respectively; 88 pre-and-post approach, the Philippine Rural which falls under the “One DA” harvest facilities had been placed, Development Project (PRDP) approach of Consolidation and Portable Water Systems (PWS) continues to ramp up its rural Mapping-out of Infrastructure for 6,582 households, and 1,586 infrastructure development for Investments, and Strengthen Post- hectares (ha) of area provided with 2021. harvest, Processing, Logistics, and improved irrigation or drainage In a presentation during Marketing Support. services. the DA Management Committee As of December 2020, under Read more on p. 2 Meeting last month, DA-PRDP the PRDP’s I-BUILD Component, PRDP continues to build... (from Page 1) For 2021, I-BUILD is supply and market impacts, and Approach, we will ensure that targeting construction for 379km of enhance climate change resiliency infrastructure development will roads and 75km of bridges, 51km of the agriculture sector. Once be closely coordinated with our for farm-to-market roads (FMR) and completed, these projects will partners and stakeholders for 289m for bridges, 539ha of area create an efficient transport and guaranteed sense of ownership provided with improved irrigation logistics system that are vital and increased productivity for our or drainage services, PWS for 102 to expand investments in the beneficiaries,” Engineer Mammag households, and three (3) pre-and- rural areas and increase income added. post harvest facilities. opportunities for our beneficiaries, The I-BUILD or Infrastructure I-BUILD Component Head as envisioned under the ‘One DA’ Development Component under Engineer Cristy Polido noted its approach,” Engineer Polido said. the DA-PRDP aims to establish target to timely implement and I-BUILD Alternate strategic and climate-resilient complete the projects with the Component Head Engineer Ericson rural infrastructures, along with prescribed standards and quality, Mammag also added that the priority commodity value chains. despite the limitations imposed by Component will be implementing These said infrastructure networks the current situation. various strategies on rural will then link production areas to “Most of our construction infrastructure development to markets and increase productivity. targets are on track, and these adhere to the “One DA” Approach. (Iconn Mel D. Cayabyab, NPCO projects will alight with positive “In line with the One DA InfoACE) SES conducts The NPCO Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) convened their 1st Assessment, counterparts in the PSOs and RPCOs virtually to discuss their targets for the year, including the risk assessment tool they developed to distinguish Coordination Meeting the gravity of environmental calamities that may affect subproject for CY 2021 implementation. NPCO SES Unit Head Angelita Martir welcomes their counterparts from the PSOs and RPCOs to start off their first quarter assessment and coordination meeting. NPCO SES Units from the PSOs and RPCOs discuss the parameters of their deliverables (Clockwise) NPCO Associate SES Officer Roan for the year Nuelan, SES Specialist Maria Veronica Hernando, SES Officers Reynan Dicen and Michael Francis Falconi host the meeting from the NPCO Quezon City office. PAGE 2 FEBRUARY2021 FMR strengthens agri-fishery sector, helps manage disasters, pandemic in Cam Norte For Barangay Pulongguit- The newly-concreted FMR “Napakabilis na ng biyahe at guit Chairman Fermin Gutierrez, the allows incoming locally stranded ‘yun pong mga nilalabas na kalakal concreting of the 3.44-kilometer individuals (LSIs) to avail of tulad ng mga isda na unang-unang Poblacion-Pulongguit-guit FMR ambulance services from Barangay puwede naming mailabas, hindi funded by the DA-PRDP under Tabugon to the designated isolation na siya nalalasbog (di tulad noon) its I-BUILD component was areas. This enables the Barangay gawa ng tagtag sa sama nga po ng implemented and completed at an Health Emergency Response Team daan,” Gutierrez said. opportune time. (BHERT) of Pulongguit-guit, headed The FMR project also “Kada bagyo, medyo by Gutierrez, to keep his community complements the PhP7.62M-worth nalalagay sa alanganin ang COVID-19 free. enterprise development (I-REAP) sitwasyon (ng ilan naming Aside from helping subproject Coco Geonet Production residente) kasi nasa tabing-dagat them manage disasters amid and Coco Peat Processing Project at tabing-ilog sila,” he said. the continuing fight against of the Samahang Organic-Fair According to Gutierrez, this puts COVID-19, the PhP70.52M-worth Trade Coconut Farmers Bicol- his community at risk for storm surge. infrastructure development Quezon (SoFaCoFa B-Q) located “Ang pagkakaiba ngayon lalo subproject, designed to support within the road influence area. pa’t may mga kalamidad, mabilis po the municipality’s agriculture and Gutierrez believes that the naming (naililikas) yung mga tao kasi fishery production areas, benefits road completion will contribute to maganda ang daan, nare-rescue farmers, fisherfolk and other his barangay’s development and agad namin sila. Nagagamit namin sectors in the community. Of the progress. ang mga sasakyan namin upang 2,088 households beneficiaries sila ay maihatid sa mga evacuation of the FMR, 540 families thrive on centers,” he shared. farming and fishing. Read more on p. 4 PAGE 3 FEBRUARY2021 FMR strengthens agri-fishery the concreting of the Poblacion to road influence area composed of sector...(from page 3) Pulongguit-guit FMR will significantly two barangays. The community is benefit her father and husband who also engaged in off-farm activities like “Ako po ay lubos na both work as farmers, her mother fish vending, buying and selling of nagpapasalamat at kami po ay who serves as a day care worker, and coconut, copra and other agricultural nabigyan ng PRDP ng ganitong her brother who is a fisherman. products, food processing, geonet proyekto. Nakita ko po na maganda “Mahirap po kasi nung nag- and fish processing, as well as nipa at mahigpit po ang naging aaral pa ako ‘yung daan sobrang shingle making. pagpapalakad ng paggawa nitong rough road pa, maputik pag Sta. Elena is a coastal proyekto. Talagang napakaganda, papasok kami. Hindi mo maiiwasan municipality located on the matibay, at maaasahan. Umunlad na matutumba ‘yung motor, uuwi na Northwestern portion of the ‘yung barangay namin. Isa rin ‘yung lang kami kasi puro putik na kami. Province of Camarines Norte. It has kalsada na dahilan para matuloy Ngayon naman, maganda kasi a total land area of 19,935ha, about ang plano ng LGU (para sa aming puwede kang maglakad; malapit 2,135ha of which are planted to barangay),” he added. na hindi kagaya dati na ilang oras. coconut while 1,345ha hectares are Analyn Laureles, a resident Mabilis nang mailabas ang mga planted to rice. Other agricultural of Barangay Pulongguit-guit, said produkto. Maraming marami pong areas in the municipality are planted that the road from Sta. Elena to their salamat kasi malaki ang naitulong with abaca, fruit trees, vegetables, barangay used to be rough, eroded sa amin ng kalsada,” she said. and root crops. (Annielyn L. Baleza, and had deep potholes which caused Agriculture and fishing are DA-RAFIS V/RPCO V InfoACE Unit) accidents. She mentioned that the main sources of income in the Enterprise in Catanduanes helps abaca farmers recover from super typhoon “Rolly” “Paano na ang aming Catanduanes, in November 2020. Not knowing how to start, hanapbuhay? Dito lang kami According to a report Betco was excited to know that kumukuha ng pangbuhay.” from the Provincial Disaster Risk Abaca Fiber Processing and These were the concerns Reduction and Management Trading Enterprise (AFPTE), where expressed by abaca farmer Arnold (PDRRMC), super typhoon Rolly he works as a sorter earning a Betco, as he and his wife endured caused over PhP2-B damages to daily minimum wage of PhP300, the effects of super typhoon infrastructure and left a total of has resumed its operations a week Rolly which made landfall in Bato, PhP1.59-B in agricultural losses. after super typhoon Rolly. Read more on p. 5 PAGE 4 FEBRUARY2021 sa wala. Halos baka abutan kami ng the other hand, offers non-collateral, Enterprise in Catanduanes... dalawang buwan bago kami maka- zero interest loan worth PhP25,000 (from page 4) operate ulit,” he added. payable in 10 years. Chairman Tasarra reported Losa also assured PLDC that “Maganda kasi araw-araw that damages caused by super the PRDP I-REAP is coordinating with may kinikita. Hindi katulad noon, typhoon Rolly amounted to the Philippine Fiber Industry Authority pagkabagyo, wala. Ang hirap PhP12.41M-worth of PLDC’s property, (PhilFida) to facilitate the rehabilitation pag wala kang makukunan ng infrastructure, furniture, and abaca of AFPTE farmer-members’ abaca hanapbuhay,” Betco expressed. products. Also, abaca areas in San farm areas. She added that PRDP Betco is one of 2,500 abaca Andres, VIrac, San Miguel, Bato, Bicol will also lobby for the insurance farmer members of the Pinoy Lingap- Baras, GIgmoto were badly hit, of PLDC members’ abaca during Damayan Multipurpose Cooperative consisting of 75% of the enterprise’s the nationwide I-REAP coordination (PLDC), the proponent group that fiber suppliers. To sustain operations, meeting runs the enterprise development AFPTE will rely on abaca fiber from “Malaking bagay po ‘yun (I-REAP) subproject funded under the municipalities with minor damages, kasi kailangan ng mga farmers and DA-PRDP. which includes Caramoran, Pandan, fisherfolk ng start-up capital para According to PLDC Board of Viga, Panganiban, and Bagamanoc makabangon,” Tasarra added.