SORSOGON CITY, SORSOGON – Monitoring and evaluation are integral factors that determine project success or failure. Learning from some government- and private-funded projects’ failure because of weak monitoring and evaluation, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) implements a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) system in its organizational structure from the national to the local levels.

Through monitoring, implementers and stakeholders receive feedback about the PRDP objectives as well as the project implementation dynamics. Meanwhile, evaluation puts emphasis on how outputs, process and resources are translated into results and benefits.

To keep track of actual outputs and milestones versus expected targets of microenterprise development (I-REAP) subprojects in Bicol, PRDP M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot and I-REAP Business Development Officer Glenn Balana monitored eight completed microenterprise subprojects in Sorsogon on February 28 to March 1, 2019. These are: the Establishment of Cassava Chip Processing Enterprise for Small Producers of San Bernardo being implemented by the Association of Mushroom Growers in San Bernardo (AMAG) and the San Francisco Gabi and Ginger Production and Marketing run by the Rural Improvement Club of San Francisco in Bulusan. They also monitored the Establishment of Cottage Industry in Olandia being managed by the Rural Improvement Club of Olandia and the Cagang RIC Native Chicken Production and Marketing operated by the RIC Cagang in Barcelona. Remot and Balana also visited the Bagacay Seaweeds Production and Marketing in Gubat, the Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association in Prieto Diaz, the Foodcrop Production and Marketing and the SAMAGI Seaweeds Production and Marketing in Sorsogon City.

“Importante ang monitoring para ma-assess natin kung naging successful ba ang isang proponent group (PG) sa mga naibigay nating interventions. Nakatulong ba? May epekto ba sa kanila? And ang importante dun yung sustainability,” Remot said.

Balana also noted that monitoring strengthens the socio-economic aspect as well as the sense of accountability of the PG and its members. “This is also being done in preparation for the PRDP mainstreaming into regular DA programs,” he added.

The PRDP RBME system is divided into two distinct but complementing sub-systems: the progress M&E and the Results M&E. Both aim to provide necessary feedback to project implementers and other stakeholders as bases for decision-making and outline project direction.

Progress M&E assesses the status of interventions, building-up resources and mechanism for program implementation. It also measures the physical and financial progress of the project during implementation. It intends to forewarn management on possible delays and helps identify measures to mitigate causes of delays. Results M&E on the other hand, focuses on tracking success or effectivenes of PRDP implementation. It evaluates the sufficiency, relevance and sustainability of outputs realized as the program progresses which serves as bases for instituting measures and adjustments in terms of implementation arrangement and approaches, strategies, resources, policy supports and issuances, funds by component and duration of the loan effectiveness.

For I-REAP, PRDP RBME is being done by adopting survey technique on project beneficiaries in coordination with the Provincial Project Management and Implementation Units (PPMIUs) to achieve the four Project development objectives.

“Mas maganda nga na mino-monitor para naa-alert yung mga tao na kailangan nating magpursige at wag magpabaya kasi isa itong project ng gobyerno na di dapat pabayaan. Nadadagdagan ang aming kaalaman kasi minsan kahit nag-training na kulang pa rin kasi ilang araw lang yun kung minsan hindi namin nakukuha lahat. Sa monitoring mas maganda kasi nakikita talaga kung ano na ang nangyayari,” Carayat Seaweed Farmers’ Association Chairperson Candelaria Esplana said.

Results from the progress and results M&E will also serve as basis for the PGs’ Training Needs Assessment which the PRDP will facilitate in convergence with other agencies.

“The best ang monitoring ng PRDP. Kasi yung ibang proyekto bihira, minsan kami pa ang pupunta para magbigay ng monitoring report hindi gaya ng sa PRDP na hands-on sila, talagang pinupuntahan nila. Lahat ng miyembro nagigiging aware,” Esplana added. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-RAFIS V)  

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (left) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (2^nd from left) check the financial records of the Association of Mushroom Growers in San Bernardo (AMAG) in Bulusan, Sorsogon.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (2^nd from left) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (3^rd from left) evaluate the physical and financial progress of the San Francisco Gabi and Ginger Production and Marketing run by the Rural Improvement Club of San Francisco in Bulusan, Sorsogon.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (2^nd from right) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (1^st from right) interact with the officers of the Rural Improvement Club of Olandia to monitor their enterprise’s status.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (2^nd from left) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (1^st from left) monitor the physical and financial status of the Cagang RIC Native Chicken Production and Marketing operated by the RIC Cagang in Barcelona, Sorsogon.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (center) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (1^st from right) listen to the lessons learned and issues raised by the Rural Improvement Club of Bacagay in implementing the Bagacay Seaweeds Production and Marketing in Gubat, Sorsogon.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (sited in blue shirt) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (1^st from left) discuss possible measures to address the challenges encountered by the Carayat Seaweed Farmers’ Association in implementing the the Carayat Seaweed Farmers Association in Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (standing, 1^st from left) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (center, seated) listen to the issues shared by officers of the Samahan ng mga Magsasaka ng Organikong Panggugulayan (SMOP) in implementing the Foodcrop Production and Marketing in Sorsogon City.

PRDP-Bicol Business Development Officer Glenn Balana (2^nd from right) and M&E Officer Rhodelia Remot (1^st from left) monitors the progress of the SAMAGI Seaweeds Production and Marketing being implemented by the Samahan ng Mangingisda ng Gimaloto in Sorsogon City.

(Photos by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-RAFIS V)