Mindanao LGUs have experience to lead national dev't program — WB

Local government units in Mindanao are in the best position to lead in the implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), the World Bank said Thursday. WB lead rural development specialist Carolina F. Geron said the LGUs' experience and prior work under the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) puts them at the forefront of the nationwide upscale. “Since PRDP is demand-driven, Mindanao is expected to get most of the investments since it has already prepared...project feasibility studies and project designs as excess demands from the MRDP proposals,” Geron said at the wrap-up meeting of the 8th World Bank support mission. The PRDP will cover 12 regions in the country: CALABARZON (Region IV-A) MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), the Bicol Region (Region V), Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) and all six regions in Mindanao. The program needs a funding of about $627 million, of which $500 million will come from loans from the World Bank. The balance will be funded through equity sharing among the national and local government units. Effectively implemented in Mindanao for over 12 years, the MRDP is a poverty reduction program aiming to boost rural incomes by increasing agricultural production, improving food security, and implementing infrastructure projects, livelihood and environmental projects. The PRDP is patterned after the Mindanao program. MRDP deputy director Arnel V. De Mesa said that the program already has P6.8-billion worth of infrastructure projects awaiting funding. “I understand the first P2.5-billion worth of infrastructure projects of the MRDP excess will be the first projects to be funded under PRDP,” Geron said. She added that the nationwide program will be the platform for a modern and climate-smart agriculture industry. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala previously said that the PRDP's start should be relatively smooth, as the program’s guidelines have incorporated lessons learned from the Mindanao program. The Agriculture Department is expected to submit a proposal on the initiative to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Technical Board soon. Once approved, the new program will be implemented from 2013 to 2019. - BM, GMA News