By Jonathan G. Villaraza
The government is setting aside almost P10 billion for the Philippine Rural Development Plan (PRDP) in Calabarzon (Region 4-A) to stimulate economic development in the area, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday.
During the distribution of presidential assistance to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in San Jose, Batangas, Marcos said the P10-billion project, which aims to empower and modernize the agri-fishery sector, will include the construction of access roads and irrigation systems.
Among the ongoing projects he cited are the Taal Lake Circumferential Road, Lobo Malabrigo–San Juan Laiya Road, Quipot Irrigation Project and Macalelon Irrigation Project.
"We are working to boost the economy of Calabarzon. From 2023 to 2024, we have already allotted nearly PHP10 billion for the Philippine Rural Development Plan (PRDP) here in Region 4-A," Marcos said.
The PRDP is geared towards empowering local farmers and fisherfolk through improving their agricultural productivity, income opportunities, and living conditions.
To increase the revenue of farmers, Marcos also highlighted the need to add value to their agricultural products through processing.
Aside from the cash assistance, the government distributed machinery and equipment to achieve this goal, including farm tractors, hauling trucks, combine harvesters, rice threshers, grain collector baggers, corn husker shellers, hammer mills, forage choppers, cassava graters, and chippers.
"We are giving farmers an opportunity to stop transporting their products, or raw materials, to another location for processing. With the help of such machinery, processing could be done, even if it is just on a small scale, by our farmers and fisherfolk," he said.
During the event, the President handed more than P70 million to the three provincial governments--P24,040,000 to Batangas; P17,420,000 to Laguna; and P28,810,000 to Quezon.
Marcos also distributed cash assistance amounting to P10,000 each to 30 select beneficiaries from the three provinces.
The Department of Agriculture provided farm machinery, equipment, fiber boats, seeds, fishing cages, and other items under the following programs: Rice Program, Corn Program, High Value Crops Development Program, National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program, Livestock Program and Organic Agriculture Program.
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