THE Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) has endorsed three farm-to-market road projects for inclusion in the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).
The board approved the projects worth P377 million last December 8, the first step toward securing funds under the PRDP.
Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said in a statement issued by the Provincial Capitol that the three projects were the biggest road projects approved by the RPAB so far.
The biggest in terms of road length, at 19 kilometers, is being proposed in the municipality of Sogod in northern Cebu, the same statement read.
The two other projects are located in the towns of Tudela in Camotes Islands and Santander in southern Cebu, with road lengths of 11 and six kilometers, respectively.
The board earlier endorsed for funding around P143 million of farm-to-market roads in typhoon Yolanda-stricken northern Cebu. Bidding for the projects started last November.
The board also approved two small livelihood projects in the town of San Remigio. These are the native chicken production in Barangay Maño and wine production in Barangay Tambongon.
Bigger livelihood subprojects will be endorsed starting next year, said Estella Rodriguez, project management officer for PRDP-Cebu Provincial Project Monitoring and Implementing Unit (PPMIU).
PRDP, which is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture, is a World Bank-funded program that provides funding to develop the accessibility of farms and other component projects.
Under the program, the national government will shell out 90 percent of the total cost of the road infrastructure project. The remaining 10 percent will be paid by the province as counterpart fund.
The Capitol allocated P97 million as the province’s 10-percent counterpart for the program in its 2016 annual investment plan. This means Cebu is likely to get a total of P970 million worth of infra projects from PRDP next year.