DA seeks LGU participation in rural development initiatives

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is calling for increased participation by local government units (LGUs) in its rural development initiatives.

Among these programs is the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

“The success of government programs rely largely on the support of local government units, especially in rural areas, because they know the needs of their constituents,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

The PRDP is a six-year program currently implemented by the DA in cooperation with the World Bank for the creation of an inclusive, value-chain oriented and climate resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.

The total project cost for the PRDP is P27.5 billion consisting of a P20.5 billion loan from the World Bank; P3.58 billion as national government counterpart funding; P3.112 billion equity of local government Units, and P287 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

PRDP builds on the innovations by the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) concluded in 2013. It will cover 80 provinces in 16 regions.

The DA also implements a counterpart funding scheme for farm mechanization to lessen the drudgery of manual work as the average age of farmers are now above 50 years.

Increased farm mechanization is also seen to promote greater value-adding in the farm sector and increased recovery of raw materials that would otherwise be lost to the elements through traditional harvesting methods.