THE Regional Project Coordinating Office (RPCO)-Western Visayas I-Build team has conducted a joint technical review (JTR) and subproject appraisal review (Spar) for the rehabilitation of 28.5-kilometer Barangay Talagacay to Barangay Damutan Farm-to-Market (FMR) Road with bridge as one of the pipelined subprojects under the I-Build component in Hinoba-an.

The team conducted the three-day review along with representatives from National Project Coordinating Office (NPCO), Project Support Office (PSO)-Visayas Cluster and local government unit (LGU) focal persons of the southern Negros Occidental town recently.

Department of Agriculture (DA)-Western Visayas, in a statement, said the team gathered to discuss supplementary requirements and concerns on the plan for the project implementation.

They also tackled the prospected timeline for the submission of additional documents of 28.5-kilometer FMR which will benefit 32,340 households in the area.

Mayor Ernesto Estrao of Hinoba-an said he is hopeful that this proposed FMR subproject will start in 2020 as soon as all issues and concerns are addressed during the meeting and site validation.

“The local government unit is more willing to help and find relocation sites for those families whose houses will be affected by the FMR,” Estrao said in a statement.

The team also discussed issues and concerns with the representatives of Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES), Economics, and Geomapping and Governance Unit (GGU).

Also, consultations and validation on Project Affected Persons (PAPs) were initiated so as to ensure safety and economic sustainability of the proposed FMR with bridge subproject.

The said proposed subproject was identified as the second longest FMR to be constructed by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in the region, the statement added. (PR)