BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) recently conducted a three-day training-workshop to help local government units (LGUs) in the region  streamline the  implementation of the PRDP Scale-Up.

The training-workshop focused on the preparation of technical documents and compliance review, including the detailed engineering design (DED), program of works (POW), and economic and financial analysis (EFA), among others.

Rene Q. Morales, head of the I-BUILD component underscored  the significance of gathering the LGU partners stating, “Having an avenue where they can focus and collaborate speeds up the compliance process for the Scale-Up.”

“This collaborative effort ensures that LGUs can promptly address concerns related to the approval of their proposed subprojects,” he added.

LGU representatives acknowledged the importance of the training workshop and compliance review provided to them as an important platform for implementing partners to enhance their technical preparation skills. It also served as an opportunity to identify and address potential delays in compliance while developing techniques and strategies for streamlining the document preparation process under the PRDP Scale-Up.

Currently, there are three subprojects of PRDP Scale-Up that received approval from the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) in Caraga namely, Pirada-Payas farm-to-market road (FMR) in Cabadbaran City, San Isidro-Barajas FMR with bridge and the Mahayahay -Zion Libertad FMR with bridge and both located in the municipality of Kitcharao, all in Agusan del Norte.

The PRDP Scale-Up, launched by the Department of Agriculture on November 6, 2023,  is an offshoot of the original PRDP and its two additional financing which was implemented since 2014 by the Department of Agriculture (DA) with support from the World Bank, to address the persistent challenges being faced by the agri-fishery sector and the rural communities in the country. (NCLM, PIA-Caraga with report from DA-Caraga)