Monday, May 14, 2007 P400M set aside for Minda rural projects this year
THE bidding process for the extended Mindanao Rural Development Program, a multi-million dollar program funded by the World Bank, has began with actual project implementation set by June.
Dubbed MRDP-Adaptable Program Loan 2 (MRDP-APL 2), the program is expected to boost Mindanao's farming and fishing sectors through infrastructure projects that would facilitate easy transport of goods from the farms to trading centers.
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The program covers all the 27 provinces in Mindanao and at least 225 municipalities, which is half of the local government units in the island.
Arnel de Mesa, MRDP deputy director, said the extension was a result of the satisfactory rating of the World Bank and other institutions who conducted a terminal evaluation of the first phase.
"We have projects lined-up for implementation by July. Bidding for farm-to-market roads is underway. For the first year, we expect to utilize P400 million for the projects," he said.
The World Bank's board of directors approved late in March a loan package worth US$83.752 million for the government to jumpstart the implementation of MRDP-APL 2.
De Mesa said the fund would climb to around $123.9 million with the equity from the local government units and the Department of Agriculture.
He said that communities or people's organization in covered areas may submit project proposals for funding.
He said the specific objectives of MRDP-APL 2 are the following:
* to implement and refine institutional, financial and community-based planning and management systems for supporting rural development within the targeted agricultural communities in all participating LGUs;
* strengthen and operationalize a decentralized agricultural service system through the improvement of capacities of targeted agencies/ organizations and communities on collaborative agri-fisheries development planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and operation and maintenance;
* address community priorities for sustainable rural development and agricultural productivity;
* institutionalize community-based mechanisms/ systems to conserve and/or to restore globally and locally important coastal and terrestrial ecosystems.
MRDP was introduced in 1999 as a poverty reduction program for the rural poor and indigenous communities in Mindanao.
It is aimed at improving income and food security in the targeted rural communities.
The first phase of MRDP, which was completed in December 2004, covered 32 towns in five provinces in Mindanao.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has said the implementation of MRDP-APL 2 complements the government's efforts to promote poverty reduction and rural growth in Mindanao.
"We hope that with this project, Mindanaaons will experience greater economic and integration opportunities, particularly to indigenous communities and other disadvantaged groups," Yap said. (BSS)
