WB firms up more farm-to-market road projects in priority areas

MANILA, Philippines–A visit to Sultan Kudarat from a World Bank review team has firmed up more farm-to-market road (FMR) projects, which are part of the P27-billion Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

According to the Department of Agriculture, about 1,000 households that are tending to some 2,000 hectares of farms in Isulan town “have started to benefit” from the ongoing construction of three road networks.

These P36.7 million worth of projects cover the concreting of Purok 2-San Martin FMR in Barangay Kudanding as well as the Tayugo-Paladong FMR and the Bual-Talitay.

A World Bank review mission checked out the sites last Jan. 27 to kick off the implementation of the PRDP in the Soccsksargen region.

The P27.5-billion, six-year initiative is intended for rural infrastructure as well as small business and livelihood projects for farmers and fisherfolk.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the PRDP pipeline already included P9.7 billion worth of FMRs.

Alcala said this represented 1,121 kilometers of road, which are among 195 sub-projects that various local government units have proposed to include in the PDRP’s infrastructure development component.

Including other parts of the PDRP like the enterprise component, the portfolio of sub-projects is so far pegged at some P11.4 billion, including production, marketing, and logistics support for farmers and fishers.

Already proposed are 31 enterprise-related sub-projects worth P361.84 million, which relate to market assistance, capability-building, technology development, and production and post-harvest support.

Alcala said that based on PRDP’s progress report, 58 provincial governments have signed with the DA memoranda of agreement for the sub-projects.

Further, value chain analyses (VCA) for 25 PRDP priority commodities—including coffee, rubber, mango, and seaweeds—have been conducted.