Students tap to check DA dev't projects in S. Leyte

SOUTHERN LEYTE, June 19 -- This may yet be first in the entire Visayas where the academe gets itself involved in monitoring the implementation of various sub-projects under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

Recently, signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was held signaling the start of Southern Leyte State University’s (SLSU) full participation in monitoring PRDP sub-projects being implemented within the province. 

During the said MOU signing, SLSU was represented by its President Prose Ivy G. Yepes, the Department of Agriculture-8, by OIC – Regional Executive Director U-Nichols A. Manalo, and Governor Damian Mercado for the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte.

Dr. Ivy Yepes said, “We take it as an opportunity for our students to learn new things. Aside from letting them undergo formal training about the PRDP’s monitoring process, their specific roles and, in particular, the application of the project’s science-based monitoring and transparency tools, they will also be exposed to on-field experiences. This will hopefully instill in them the value of quality work.”

She pointed out that this would be part of SLSU’s exercise of social responsibility. It will be one of the major activities that will be placed under the university’s Extension Program and will be integrated in the students’ on -the-job training. SLSU’s main campus is located in the municipality of Sogod.

Southern Leyte is a recipient of various enterprise and infrastructure subprojects funded under the PRDP. “The road sub-project in one of its municipalities entitled Rehabilitation/Improvement of Brgy. San Roque – Brgy. Bahay FMR subproject in Lilo-an, with a total length of 19.40 kilometers costing PHP232 million is so far, the biggest PRDP infrastructure sub-project in the country,” Franco Villaruel, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit Head of PRDP Project Support Office for Visayas cluster said.

The faculty and students from SLSU are expected to partner with some barangay residents in areas within the province where there are ongoing sub-projects being implemented to comprise the so-called citizens monitoring team. This team is tasked to monitor compliance with the prescribed infrastructure sub-project design or specifications, quality standards and timeline, among others. 

Villaruel said that the tightened monitoring process under the PRDP is aimed at ensuring quality and timely completion of sub-projects. There would be training for those who will be identified as members of the monitoring team. It will focus on the use of the citizens monitoring tool developed under PRDP. They will also be taught about geo-tagging.(PRDP-PR/PNA)