THE World Bank gave a satisfactory grade to the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) during the 6th World Bank Review Mission, in Zamboanga del Norte last June 2018.
“We are very grateful that the World Bank noted our contributions and development in building a better Mindanao,” deputy project director Dani Alesna said in his opening statement during the media forum at Habi at Kape, Abreeza Mall on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
Under PRDP is the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP). This is a strategic plan which regulates and consolidates with the value chain commodities that will benefit the provinces especially in meeting the demands of agriculture and fishery sector.
All 81 provinces in the country are already implementing PCIP through each province’s development plans.
For rural infrastructure achievements, PRDP already launched 390 approved rural infrastructure sub-projects and 99 of which are completed. These include 71 Farm-to-Market Roads (FMRs) with median length of three kilometers and an overall length of 269 kilometers, two bridges, and three potable water systems, and the establishments of warehouses.
Alesna said they noted a 54 percent reduction of travel time brought by the completion of the roads. He said this will help bolster in making efficient delivers of fresh agricultural products from farms to markets.
These improvements from the completion of FMRs show a 15.2 percent increase in household real-income.
PRDP is a six-year development program from 2014-2020 of the Philippine government.
The platform seeks to partner with LGUs and the private sector in providing key infrastructure, facilities, technology and information.
“Now we have finally reached a satisfactory rating, and we know the standards of World Bank. Having this rating is already a success,” Alesna said.