For Cebu and Bohol: P429 million worth of infra projects endorsed to PRDP

CEBU, Philippines – About P429.44-million worth of infrastructure projects – mostly farm-to-market roads – for Cebu and Bohol under the World Bank funded-Philippine Rural Development Project have already been endorsed to the PRDP's National Project Coordination Office (NCPO).

This means, according to Gerry Avila of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas, the projects are likely to be implemented soon.

Avila, chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, said yesterday one of these projects, a farm-to-market road (FMR) in Sagbayan, Bohol, has already started construction early this month.

In an interview, he said there are a total of 9 projects endorsed by the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) to NCPO: four FMRs in Bohol and four FMRs and a potable water system in Cebu.

In Cebu the town of San Remigio will have two FMRs, one in Daanbantayan town and one in Bogo City. Alegria town is eyed for the potable water project.

The FMR projects for Bohol could cost around P153.7 million while those for Cebu including the potable water system could reach P275.74 million.

Avila explained these proposed infrastructure projects had already received "no objection letter" (NOL) from the NPCO.

Thus, the projects can eventually proceed with the bidding process and the formulation of the implementation management agreement (IMA) by the proponent.

The IMA signals the implementation arrangements and specific guidelines for the project's fund releases and liquidations.

PRDP-funded projects can only be implemented once they get the NOL from the NPCO and World Bank.

The DA official expressed hope these projects could start their implementation within the year. He, however, noted that project proponents need to fast track the making of their IMAs.

PRDP's total project cost is P27.5 billion, composed of financing from the World Bank (P20.5 billion), Global Environment Facility (P287 million), national government (P3.6 billion) and local government units' equity (P3.1 billion).

The six-year PRDP covers all the country's 80 provinces in 16 regions in an aim to improve the agriculture sector and boost rural income.

The DA is the lead implementing agency for PRDP.