TACLOBAN CITY,
Sept. 27 (PNA) -- There is more about the Philippine Rural Development Project
(PRDP), aside from infrastructure and livelihood investments, it also offers
innovative and science-based tools, which could freely be used for development
planning and better government transparency.
Department
of Agriculture Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Wilson Cerbito said
these tools are widely available and free.
“We only
need to learn how to use them. For instance, geotagging is an effective tool,
which could be applied in the conduct of validation, planning, monitoring and
evaluation. From its popular use under the PRDP, we are now using the
technology for our other priority programs and projects in the DA,”he said.
“We take
pride in being instrumental for the promotion of the technology in the region.
We have already conducted several training on geotagging, and we are glad that
some of our local government units (LGUs) are already using the technology,” he
said.
Meanwhile,
planners and other technical personnel from the different LGUs that availed of
the PRDP may have gained insights from its much-improved planning methodologies
for agriculture and fishery sector.
“They were
capacitated in crafting their Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) as well
as feasibility studies, which are needed as they push for their proposed
subprojects for funding under the PRDP,” the DA regional chief disclosed.
A PCIP is a
strategic three-year plan containing possible interventions to be undertaken by
a province for its priority commodities in support of the region’s Agriculture
and Fisheries Modernization Plan (AFMP).
As part of
the project policies, the LGU should first prepare a PCIP before any subproject
proposal may be provided funding support from the PRDP.
The PCIP is
based on another tool utilized in the project, called Value Chain Analysis
(VCA). This is used to assess the status and the linkages and interplay of the
different value-chain players of a particular industry.
Results of
the assessment will then be used to identify appropriate strategies and
interventions that will contribute to the industry’s development and
competitiveness.
“We cannot
formulate our PCIP without the VCA. This way, the PRDP assures that all
subprojects implemented under the project are based on the actual needs for the
development of the commodity in particular areas, and will address constraints
in the value chain,” he continued.
Aside from
the PCIP and VCA, LGUs participating in the PRDP could also be capacitated to
utilize the Expanded-Vulnerability Assessment Tool (E-VSA).
This is an
online tool which takes into account both agro-climatic data, and socioeconomic
indicators such as the poverty level, number of farmers and fishers and size of
production area, among others, as basis in targeting interventions and
formulating strategies for investments.
“We want to
help our LGU partners advance in attaining their development objectives not
only by way of supporting their proposed subprojects, but also through capacity
enhancement opportunities in terms of planning and implementing agri-fishery
subprojects,” Cerbito stressed.
“By the end
of the project, we want its good practices, innovations and useful tools
adopted in our government processes particularly among LGUs.”
PRDP is a six-year
program (2014-2021) designed to establish the government platform for a modern,
climate-smart and market-oriented agri-fishery sector. It seeks to improve
agricultural competitiveness and expand market access for any identified
priority commodities under the project. (PNA)
FPV/SQM/DA-PR/EGR
FPV/SQM/DA-PR/EGR
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