“Your performance now is being considered in prioritizing your future proposals,” said Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) South Luzon Deputy Project Director Shandy Hubilla to remind partner local government units of the prioritization scheme for infrastructure development (I-BUILD) subprojects under PRDP expansion.
In a Management Meeting with Provincial Project Management and Implementation Unit (PPMIU)-Camarines Sur held in Pili, Camarines Sur on January 19, 2018, Hubilla underscored that LGUs’ performance in terms of procurement, Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) compliance and actual implementation are crucial in ranking I-BUILD proposals.
PRDP developed the prioritization scheme as a mechanism to prioritize funding of subprojects based on technical and economic viability and other socio-economic indicators. With the Project’s approved expansion through the additional financing worth 170 million dollars for the first tranche, the prioritization scheme will serve as PRDP’s strategy in planning annual I-BUILD portfolio.
The scheme was devised to expand the project’s support to LGUs which have yet to propose subprojects under PRDP, increase diversity in I-BUILD subprojects and maximize potential impacts of rural development projects. It also aims to guarantee that subprojects are in line with Commodity Investment Plans.
The prioritization scheme is divided into two levels: the screening of LGU and subproject eligibility for additional financing and the prioritization of subprojects. PRDP attach scores to each proposal. Fifty percent of the score is based on LGU’s performance while the other 50 percent is based on the infrastructure subproject type prioritization. This will be done prior to review of technical documents for No Objection Level 1 issuance. PRDP will look into the LGU’s performance using these parameters: procurement (20%), construction (20%), disbursement (20%), transparency compliance thru Applied Geotagging Tool (AGT) (10%), Compliance to SES (20%) and Compliance to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) (10%). Higher scores will be given to LGUs without delays in compliance while LGUs with delayed compliance will be rated lower. Bonus points will go to LGUs that are compliant to the I-BUILD Operations Manual audit (3%) and with approved I-REAP subproject in line with PCIP (10%).
Meanwhile, non-FMR subprojects such as Communal Irrigation System (CIS)/Small Scale Irrigation Projects (SSIP), Potable Water System (PWS) and other infrastructure subprojects will get 100 points while FMR prioritization criteria will be ranked in terms of technical and socio-economic factors. In support of the Climate Risk and Resiliency Program, a convergence program led by the Climate Change Commission, proposals coming from provinces identified as exceptionally vulnerable to climate risks will receive a bonus 10 points as part of the Climate Resiliency Criteria.
A passing score of 117 to a maximum score of 233 points is required to make it to the ranked priority list for review for NOL 1 issuance. Meanwhile, farm-to-market road (FMR) proposals are weighted based on economic and social impacts and technical conditions namely economic feasibility indicator (benefit-cost ratio) (20%), expanded vulnerability and suitability assessment (E-VSA) ranking (20%), equitable distribution of investments (15%), road condition improvement (15%), road influence area (RIA) density (15%), and farmer/fisher component of beneficiaries (15%).
Meanwhile, automatic priority (300 points) will be given to LGUs yet to participate in PRDP, LGUs with no approved I-BUILD SP nor I-BUILD proposals in the pipeline and LGUs with approved enterprise development (I-REAP) subproject but no I-BUILD subproject.
The prioritization scheme for I-BUILD subprojects was approved by Undersecretary for Operations and PRDP National Project Director Engr. Ariel Cayanan in September 2017 and was approved and endorsed by Secretary of Agriculture Emmanuel Piñol on October 3, 2017. The scheme was approved by the National Project Advisory Board (NPAB) on October 26, 2017 and will be integrated as an annex to the I-BUILD Manual of Operations. It will be applied to subprojects approved by the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) and endorsed for issuance of NOL 1 which will avail of the additional financing. PRDP is expecting to secure the additional financing by 1st quarter of 2018.
Currently, only the P92.15 million-worth Concreting of Junction Sabangan-Datag East FMR in Caramoran, Catanduanes passed the first round of prioritization scheme. The second round of prioritization is scheduled on February 28, 2018 for succeeding I-BUILD subprojects to be implemented in 2019 and 2020.
Hubilla cited the need to reform current work methodologies to achieve better results while PRDP-Bicol Project Director Dr. Elena de los Santos advised the RPCO team to conduct regular monthly meetings with contractors and the PPMIU technical team to address issues and concerns affecting project implementation. (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)