Australian Aid (AusAid) has donated  $3 million (P125.7 million) to the Department of Agriculture for the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP). 

 

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told GMA News Online that the fund would be spent on “capacity” trainings for local government units and non-government organizations under the MRDP.

 

“Para in the near future, kapag nag-expand na ang MDRP, mas madaling magawa kasi mas-capacitated na ang mga tao,” Alcala said in a phone interview.

 

The Agriculture chief noted that capacity building would be in the form of seminars or the provision of hardware as in computers.

 

The DA is now requesting for extension to dispose the fund, since the department was asked to spend the AusAid grant by December 2013, Alcala said.

 

The grant from the Australian government was approved only last May, the secretary noted.

 

In a separate statement released Monday by the Agriculture Department, MRDP director Lealyn Ramos said the grant will be used “to provide technical assistance to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural services from project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.”

 

“It will also be used to improve the livelihood opportunities for the targeted communities and institutionalize… [development] among the local government units’ delivery of services that promotes participation, transparency and accountability,” she added.

 

The grant would also be used to speed up delivery of agriculture and fishery services, Ramos said.

 

DA’s poverty alleviation initiative covers 225 towns in all 26 provinces of Mindanao, the department noted. — VS, GMA News