P601-M CHARMP2 budget up for final gov’t approval

BAGUIO CITY -- The proposed P601 million  Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project2 (CHARMP2) Scale-Up Project of the Department of Agriculture- Cordillera Administrative Region hurdled the  Investment Coordinating Committee- Technical Board (ICC TB) after two recent presentations.

It is now ready for presentation to the ICC cabinet committee come Sept. 19.  

ICC clearance is needed for all major projects needing foreign funding support.    

 The project is expected to benefit about 2,665 households spread over 18 barangays in six Cordillera provinces. If approved by the ICC cabinet committee and the National Economic Development Authority board, it will be implemented starting January  2017 with a two-year implementation period.

The 18 barangay beneficiaries which are among the poorest and hard-to-reach barangays in the region  are as follows: 
        Nalbuan in Licuan-Baay; Nagbuquel in Luba; Bayabas in Malibcong (Abra); Ferdinand in Calanasan; Calafug in Conner; Lucab, Kabugao, Apayao; Bagu, Bakun; Pongayan, Kapangan; Pappa, Sablan,Benguet; Anao, Hingyon; Abatan,Hungduan; Gumhangin, Tinoc Ifugao;

Taloctoc, Tanudan; Bugnay, Tinglayan; Balinciagao Surm Pasil in Kalinga and Bagnen Oriente, Bauko; Balugan, Sagada and Dacudac in Tadian Mountain Province.

The project has  four main components:  social mobilization and participatory investment planning, agro forestry, agriculture, agri business and income generating activities and rural infrastructure development. 

Agroforestry and watershed management, and project management components account for 9 percent of the total project cost while the components on social mobilization, participatory investment planning, and  agriculture, agri-business and income generating activities account for 8 percent each of the total project funds.

The RID has the largest share of 64% or about P386 million.

 The RID project outputs include rehabilitation/improvement of about 86 kilometers of farm to market roads, 40,450 lineal meters of foot path, 625 lineal meters of foot bridge, 482 hectares of communal irrigation system plus the construction of 30 community infrastructures (domestic water supply system, tramlines, warehouse, solar dryer, greenhouse).

On the other hand, the agribusiness and income generating activities will provide seed fund to farmers to support various commodities of the farmers.  Meanwhile, the watershed components will involve the establishment of agroforestry plots in the barangays.

 During the ICC technical board deliberation, NEDA deputy director general Rolando Tungpalan cited  need for DA to show complementation of the CHARMP2 project with the Philippine Rural Development Project (a nationwide project  of DA) and Integrated Natural Resources Environmental Management Project (INREMP) being implemented by Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources in the Upper Chico River Basin of CAR. He likewise directed DA to show the impact of the previous CHARMP projects.

 The first CHARMP project had 82 barangay beneficiaries implemented from 1997 to 2004, while CHARMP2, which had 170 barangay beneficiaries, was  implemented from 2009-2016. 

With 18 barangay  beneficiaries, the proposed CHARMP2 project is expected to replicate  the good practices of  the previous CHARMP  projects, but this time spreading the benefits to other poorer, hard-to-reach areas in CAR.

 The Cordillera Regional Development Council endorsed the proposed scaling-up project to the ICC through RDC-CAR Resolution No. 34, entitled “Approving the additional financing for upscaling the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP 2).”