WITH the implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), issues on right of way, environment safety and clearances, and local government unit coordination topped the challenges of the project realization.
Engineer Cirilo Namoc of PRDP told reporters Tuesday, November 22, at the press conference at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City that these constraints are just normal in the initial implementation of a project.
But despite these, PRDP for Mindanao cluster deputy project director Araceli Morano said the project timeline for the island-region is on track.
Meanwhile, the Philippines through the Department of Agriculture (DA) is applying for additional loan of $450 million from the World Bank.
Morano said that additional funding is needed to start and fast-track all pending and on-going agricultural projects to complement the direction the DA is taking.
The loan is on top of the existing PRDP budget at P27.5 billion.
“Of the $450 million additional proposed budget, some P5 billion of which will be poured to Mindanao. But we can still increase the budget allocation for Mindanao if the local government units in the island-region will propose more projects,” she said at the sidelines of the third review mission for the project in Mindanao at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Lanang, Davao City.
Morano added the loan was already approved by the National Economic Development Authority Board earlier this month and the request has been submitted to World Bank office.
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