Infrastructure projects under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) generated a total of 11,510 jobs since it started in 2013, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The DA, which oversees and implements the PRDP, said the workers employed earned P253.43 million.
Infrastructure development under the Intensified Building-Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (IBUILD) component implements farm-to-market roads, bridges, irrigation systems and potable water systems in collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and the private contractors.
“Some 4,175 skilled workers were hired, ranging from engineers, drivers, masons, heavy-equipment operators, welders, steel men, carpenters and foremen. While unskilled workers, such as laborers and helpers, counted at 7,335 over the period of over three years and counting,” PRDP Mindanao Cluster Director Lealyn Ramos said.
“PRDP is still halfway through its project life, so we still have a number of big-ticket projects ready for implementation this year and more are on the various stages of procurement, so we are expecting to create more jobs along the way,” she added.
At least 1,506 workers were hired in 2013, where P29.69 million was spent for wages. In 2014 a total of P105.11 million was paid for 5,232 workers; P95.44 million worth of wages for 3,896 workers in 2015; and P23.19 million worth of wages for 876 workers in the first quarter of 2016.
IBUILD Component Head Engr. Maria Fe Gabunales said based on record, at least 50 percent of the workers of the construction works were locally sourced, especially unskilled labors and helpers.
“This is part of our implementation agreement, that local labors would be part of the construction to promote not just employment but also project ownership among the locals,” she said.
“The project is bent on job creation and increasing of incomes of farmers. The bigger employment generation would come from the enterprise development, where we pour in funds to assist people’s organization enhance or develop their agriculture enterprise,” Ramos added.
PRDP is a six-year special program of the DA focused on establishing a modern, value chain-oriented, and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. It is jointly funded by World Bank, national government and the LGUs throughout the regions in Mindanao.
Sherwin B. Manual