In recognition of the crucial role Local Government Units (LGUs) play in project implementation, DA-Philippine Rural Development (PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office 13 through the InfoACE unit, conducted the Regional Orientation on PRDP Scale-Up for Local Government Units on June 14, 2023 at Butuan City.

Attended by Local Chief Executives, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Panlungsod, and Sangguniang Bayan of Caraga, as well as LGU representatives, the orientation aims to increase awareness of PRDP Scale-Up objectives, processes, and guidelines, especially among the legislative bodies in government.

It also aims to encourage LGUs, especially first-time LGUs, to avail of the Project with the upcoming implementation of the PRDP Scale-Up.

Deputy Project Director Jodel A. Tabada echoes this call in her discussion of the Project’s overview, implementation updates, and the changes to be expected in the Scale-Up. She emphasizes how PRDP’s meticulous processes ensure quality subprojects and all tie into achieving its development objective of increasing farmers’ incomes.

Hon. Jenry E. Montante, Municipal Mayor of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, commends these practices as they have led to durable subprojects in his municipality. He recounts how the projects they were able to avail of under the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) are still functional even up to this day.

To further provide an overview of the Project’s processes, I-BUILD Component Head Rene Q. Morales discussed the various tools and innovations unique to PRDP that are used in project implementation and monitoring, including its geotagging tools, climate-proofed technical planning and its Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).

Hon. Mercedette V. Dumagan, a first-termer Sangguniang Bayan from the Municipality of Cortes, stressed the importance of the orientation in helping her exact her role more effectively. As the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, she plans to continue the partnership built with PRDP, as she has seen first-hand how its projects have empowered communities in Cortes.

Moving forward, it is hoped that LGUs submit proposals to avail of the Project under the PRDP Scale-Up, an expanded version of the original PRDP set to be approved by the World Bank and to be implemented later this year.