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DAVAO CITY – The World Bank has extended its Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) with a  $125.75-million expansion primarily aimed at bringing down the poverty level in Mindanao by 15 percent in 2010.

The program’s second phase is seen to provide more opportunities for farmers, particularly in remote areas of Mindanao, who have very limited market access for their products.

With a wider coverage, the MRDP 2 is expected to empower more Mindanao farmers, in effect alleviating poverty on the island.

More than half of the country’s 20 poorest provinces are in Mindanao, which makes the island a priority area for anti-poverty interventions.

The MRDP 2 will reportedly cover 27 provinces and 225 municipalities in Mindanao and will run for five years, involving income-generating and more agricultural infrastructure projects.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said that unlike the first phase which covered only five provinces and 32 towns, the MRDP 2 will have a bigger coverage.

Aside from the proposed rehabilitation of 2,150 kilometers of roads, the MRDP2 will also involve livelihood, environmental conservation and capacity-building projects.