Project Information

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the World Bank aim to assist the Philippine Government in its efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustained economic growth with the implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), a modern and climate-smart agriculture and fishery involving eighty (80) Provincial Local Government Units (PLGUs), agri-fishery stakeholders, rural communities and private sector enterprise groups across 16 regions of the country. PRDP's goals of improved food security and increased incomes, climate resiliency and enabling environment and good governance are aligned with the priorities set in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016.

PRDP aims to increase rural incomes, and enhance farm and fishery productivity by promoting a more inclusive rural development; supporting changes in the planning, resource programming and implementation practices of DA; and by financing local investment and strategic network of infrastructures.

The PRDP involves the implementation of four components, namely:

• Component 1: Investment for AFMP Planning at the Local and National Levels (I-PLAN) - involves refining, harmonizing and mainstreaming AFMP planning at the national and local levels.
• Component 2: Intensified Build-up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) - a menu of rural infrastructures identified in the AFMPs that will link priority value chains in the program areas that include farm-to-market roads, bridges, communal irrigation systems (CIS), potable water systems (PWS), production and post-production facilities, amongst others.
• Component 3: Investment for Rural Enterprises and Agri-Fishery Productivity (I-REAP)-involves the provision of sustainable agricultural, livestock and fishery-based entrepreneurial subprojects as per value chain analysis results; strengthening public-private partnerships in value-adding activities and market linkages; and improving LGU's access to information, support and technologies in all aspects of the value chain.
• Component 4: Support to Program Implementation (I-SUPPORT) - involves strategies for a more responsive, effective, efficient, sustainable, and impact-oriented (REESI) administrative support system which are built on from MRDP 2 proven practices.

The main objective of the baseline study is to provide reliable baseline information for PRDP, which will be utilized as the basis for measuring significant changes over time brought about by the project and its four components. Specifically, the baseline data will describe conditions in the program areas and intends to determine success or effectiveness of PRDP by comparing conditions before and after and how PRDP contributes to these outcomes.

1) Stratified Random Sampling Survey which involved the conduct of a survey of randomly selected 5,000 respondents (farmers, fisher folks, livestock producers, agri-entrepreneurs) in 40 provinces in the three island groups (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao). The HHS was the primary data gathering method that was used to describe current household conditions which include household income; value of marketed outputs; access to post-harvest facilities and services; and awareness, access and adaption of climate-smart technologies, among others.

2) Development of a database of survey results that involves the formulation of a data entry program for both qualitative and quantitative studies. The said database include baseline information on road networks; and farmers and fishers' road access to market center

3) Collected and reviewed secondary data from the Department of Agriculture, local government units, other national agencies, ODA funded projects, among others that described or facilitated description of the existing situation of the PRDP indicators.

4) Carried out qualitative study that gathered qualitative data through focus group discussions (FGD) and key informants interviews (KII). The FGD was designed to collect opinions and views relative to the target performance indicators stipulated in the PRDP Results Framework and Monitoring. In addition, the FGD offered qualitative descriptions of program area situations as well as the current planning, programming and budgeting processes of DA at the Central Office and RFOs and other agencies involved in the delivery of agriculture services; and the current DA efforts at harmonization and mainstreaming of the Operation Manuals for National and Local AFMP Planning, Rural Infrastructure Development and Enterprise Development, among others.

A total of 24 FGD sessions were conducted, one at the DA central office (CO) level and 15 at the regional field office (RFO) level, and eight (8) at the community level. While, KII's focus was on Enterprise Development, Program Support and commodity value chains. Interviews among key informants were conducted on three levels--the national, regional and provincial levels. At the national level, informants were key people involved with the PRDP and MRDP 2 in various capacities--either as planner/decision maker, project manager, M & E specialist, and/or key stakeholder. At the regional level, included respondents were the Regional Executive Directors, RPCO Directors, representatives from DA Planning and Monitoring division, agribusiness marketing assistance, commodity coordinators; and representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and state universities and colleges (SUCs). At the provincial level, key informants were representatives from the various offices of the local government units such as the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Provincial Agriculturists, Provincial Veterinarians, CDA provincial head or representative; and representatives from the Provincial Cooperative and Economic Development Office (PCEDO) and chamber of commerce. Moreover, informants interviewed for the CVC of identified commodities were women representatives, producers or suppliers; assemblers; processors; marketers; and exporters. Around 300 informants were interviewed.