Long Overdue YRRP Funds finally turned over to LGUs

A total of 94 out of the 106 targeted local government units in Region 8 have received funding assistance from the long overdue Yolanda Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (YRRP).

More than 20 City and Municipal Mayors including one Governor graced the YRRP Coordination Meeting which was held today (Dec. 20) at the Grand Ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, Palo, Leyte. 

The main highlight of this whole day event was the turnover of the YRRP funds (part of the total PhP 3. 6 Billion funds) to the LGUs with no less than their Local Chief Executives receiving said financial assistance from DA-8 Chief Atty. Salvador D. Diputado.

In his inspirational message, RED Diputado stressed the importance of DA and LGU partnership in the government's effort of attaining the region's agricultural development. He also emphasized that prior to his assumption as the new RED of DA Eastern Visayas on November 6, this year, DA Secretary Manny Piñol reminded him to fast track the YRRP fund utilization and that by the end of the year all funds should have been duly obligated and disbursed.

And this exactly what the new DA-8 Chief had focus on in the past few days in office. Among many novel strategies, Director Diputado immediately put into place the deployment of Project Development Officers (PDOs). This group, in coordination with APCOs and other YRRP field personnel VISITED the different LGUs and directly talked with the Local Chief Executives and asisted in complying some lacking documents with the frontline Municipal Agriculture Staff.

Accordingly, the strategy has paid off handsomely as proven by the strong cooperation and support of partner LGUs that took extra miles in helping their farmer-constituents proposed viable projects that could cope with the economic losses incurred by them four years ago due to Super Typhoon Yolanda.

"That's why we called you on this coordination meeting to further strengthen our partnership and work more efficiently and effectively to make the lives of our typhoon-affected farmers even better," Director Diputado exclaimed.

Meanwhile, NEDA-8 Regional Director Atty. Bonifacio Uy reaffirmed his agency's faith in the agriculture sector as an important driver of economic growth. He cited last year's 4.4% growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which he explicitly attributed to the huge contribution of the agriculture sector.

"For the first time ever our region has posted the highest growth partly because of the outcome or the result of the massive Yolanda rehabilitation projects that the DA and other partner-agencies had poured in after Yolanda," the NEDA-8 Director quipped.

"We are very happy that the DA, under the leadership of a highly qualified Director Atty. Diputado, is now giving all this financial support to our LGUs because this will surely help alleviate the poverty incidence in our region. In fact, in 2015 or barely two years after Yolanda, the poverty incidence in Region 8 has lowered to 8% with Eastern Samar posting an all time reduction of 18%," Director Uy further said.

Reacting to this wave of positive comments from the regional technocrats, OIC
-Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal of Eastern Samar who was the only provincial dad present, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the national government for its sincere efforts of helping the LGUs amidst all disasters besetting their respective areas. On behalf of his farmer-constituents and fellow Chief Executives, he assured that said YRRP funds will be strictly used according to its varied purpose.

Also present to witness the ceremonial turnover of the more or less Two Billion Pesos YRRP funds were ARD for Research and Regulations Elvira C. Torres, YRRP Focal Person Rolando B. Hipe, together with component team leaders, the DA-8 APCOs, Division Chiefs and all YRRP-hired workforce