By Liza Agoot/PNA
BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) now has 51 infrastructure sub-projects amounting to PHP2.4 billion, approved under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).
“Of the PHP6.9-billion worth of approved infrastructure sub-projects in the North Luzon Cluster, the Cordillera got an approval for 51 sub-projects worth PHP2.4 billion or 35 percent of the total fund share for the cluster,” deputy project director and DA-Cordillera Assistant director for Operations Danilo Daguio said on Wednesday.
North Luzon cluster is composed of Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon) and Cordillera. Cagayan Valley got 29 percent; Central Luzon, 22 percent; and Ilocos, 14 percent.
Daguio said there are still a number of project proposals from local government units in the pipeline, which he said would be hopefully approved within the project timeline.
The PRDP, a six-year national project under the DA and jointly funded by the World Bank, national government and local government units, aims to establish a modern and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. It provides infrastructure, facilities, technology and information to raise incomes, productivity and competitiveness in targeted areas.
Projects include farm-to-market roads, bridges, slope protection, tramline, communal irrigation systems and potable water system, Daguio said.
He added that the LGU shares a counterpart of 10 percent for infrastructure and 20 percent if the project involves an enterprise.
In a press release issued to the media, Elvy Taquio of the Information, Advocacy, Communication and Education (InfoACE) Unit of DA-PRDP in Cordillera said of the total projects in the Cordillera that were approved, 31.76 percent — composed of five projects — are in Kalinga.
Ifugao has 22.8 percent with 17 approved projects; Benguet with 18.66 percent with 11 approved projects, Mt. Province, 13.31 percent with six approved projects; Apayao, 11.18 percent with eight approved projects; and Abra, 2.29 percent with four approved projects.
She said the information was presented by Elma Mananes, Deputy Project Director of the PRDP Project Support Office – North Luzon Cluster during the general assembly of the PRDP in Zambales on January 31.
Taquio said that of the 51 projects approved for the Cordillera, seven were completed infrastructure projects worth PHP163.1 million. There are 36 ongoing projects worth PHP1.77 billion while eight projects worth PHP498 million are under procurement.
She said Cordillera was recognized for having the highest number and cost of approved I-BUILD (integrated building of infrastructure and logistics and development) sub-projects and for being the most efficient region in terms of sub-project approval in the North Luzon cluster.
The local government unit of Kalinga was also recognized for having the highest cost of approved sub-projects under the I-BUILD; the most efficient LGU in completing the procurement process under I-BUILD for the sub-project specifically the Improvement of Bado Dangwa-Guilayon farm-to-market road; and for being the most efficient LGU in terms of sub-project approval from enterprise prioritization.
The Improvement of Bulanao-Amlao FMR and the Kalinga Coffee Trading Center were also recognized for being the best I-BUILD sub-projects implemented in terms of physical progress, documentation, operations, maintenance, and Social and Environmental Safeguards Compliance.
