DA allots P50M for CHARMP 2 projects

By Peter A. Balocnit

According to Kalinga provincial planning and development coordinator Norma Frances Damian, the amount covers half of the 60 percent   LGU counterparts to projects approved for implementation in Cordillera  provinces covered by the special project. “This will cover 30 percent of what the LGUs will shell out as their counterpart,” she said. 

            She said DA Secretary Proceso Alcala committed the amount in answer to the problem of LGU where to get counterpart funds for CHARMP 2 projects. 

            According to Damian, the incapacity of LGUs to render counterpart fund contributed to the delay of CHARMP 2 projects implementation. 

            During a consultation meeting of CHARMP 2 stakeholders, LGUs complained they could not afford to render counterpart fund since they have also similar priority projects to fund from their meager local incomes. She said the DA assistance will go to rural infrastructure development.

            Damian said the provinces of Benguet and Ifugao already received their share from the subsidy. 

            Kalinga is yet to receive its share pending the submission of detailed engineering of their proposals,”  she  said adding a fraction of the fund will be spent to strengthen the capacity of LGUs in the production of technical papers. 

            The LGU's inability to provide the required counterpart  is also the reason the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) based its recommendation to restructure the financial arrangements with CHARMP 2 and their LGU partners.

            IFAD is the provider of the development loan use to fund CHARMP 2 projects covering development components on environment, infrastructure, and human resource development.

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Department of Agriculture provided an initial P50 million fund assistance to local government units covered by the Second Cordillera Highland Agriculture Resources Management Project (CHARMP 2) in the Cordillera Region.