The Municipality of Salay in Misamis Oriental has been selected as the “Best Performing LGU” by the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program – Adaptable Program Loan Phase 2 (MRDP2).
The program is a poverty-alleviation initiative implemented through the Department of Agriculture (DA) jointly funded by the World Bank, National Government, and Local Government Units covering Mindanao’s 26 provinces and 225 municipalities. It aims to improve rural incomes and ensure food security through agri-fishery infrastructure, livelihood enterprise and biodiversity conservation projects.
During his weekly TV program “Ang Lalawigan Karon”, Gov. Oscar S. Moreno expressed his elation over Salay’s selection as a “victory for the people of Salay” who have been embroiled for the past decades in the insurgency due to government’s failure to adequately deliver basic services.
The municipality of Salay, Misamis Oriental had been conferred the Best Performing LGU in the implementation of the Mindanao Rural Development Project Rural Infrastructure Project by Pres. Benigno Aquino III. The award was accepted by Salay Mayor Romeo L. Gue together with Gov. Oscar S. Moreno during the MRDP People's Organization Congress in Davao City last week. Also in photo is Department of Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala. (photo courtesy of MOPPO)
President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III personally handed a P5-million check intended for additional rural infrastructure projects to Salay Mayor Romeo L. Gue with Gov. Moreno and Provincial Agriculturist Danilo O. Maputol in attendance during the ”Parangal sa Bosing ng Kanayuna”, one of the highlights of the MRDP People’s Organizations Congress held in Davao City on May 14, 2012 where the program recognized best performing LGUs in various projects such as rural infrastructure, Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD), and Natural Resources Management (NRM).
“The MRDP has shown it has succeeded in mobilizing communities for agricultural development in Mindanao. It has successfully established through its various projects farm-to-market roads, bridges, water systems and solar dryers as well as other agri-fishery infrastructure in the rural areas,” the President said. “MRDP has contributed much in the country’s campaign to attain freedom from hunger.”
Other LGUs recognized included Mati City, Davao Oriental (Best LGU implementing the MRDP-CFAD program) ; Nasipit, Agusan del Norte (Best LGU for natural resources and agro-forestry management) ; Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat (Best LGU for mangrove rehabilitation and management); and Roseller Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay (Best LGU for fish sanctuary management).
In his report to Gov. Moreno, Mr. Maputol said Salay was not originally among the local government units (LGUs) enrolled in the MRDP-APL2 due to the limited slots allotted to the province. However, Mayor Gue personally requested his staff be accommodated during MRDP related meetings and consultations so that when the municipality of Sagay in Camiguin withdrew from the program, the Program Support Office (PSO) in Davao City readily approved Gov. Moreno’s strong endorsement of Salay as its replacement.
Despite its late entry to the project, Salay became the first LGU in Misamis Oriental to complete its MRDP rural infrastructure (RI) sub-project, the “Upgrading of Guinalaban Farm-to-Market Road” (FMR), a 2.649 kilometer P4,198,255.77 dirt road which was formally turned over by RCPO 10 on October 1, 2010.
Salay performed similarly with its second rural infrastructure sub-project, the P5, 328,480.34 “Upgrading of Alipuatan FMR” consistently recording a positive slippage during its construction until its turnover on November 29, 2011.
Due to its exemplary management and performance in implementing these two projects, Salay has been awarded another rural infrastructure sub-project, “Upgrading of Yungod FMR” a 1.82 kilometer road with a contract cost of P3,917,094.30. The project is ongoing with a 51.36% accomplishment as of April 2012 and is 17.02% ahead of schedule.
Another RI sub-project, “Upgrading of Salagsag FMR” is now undergoing procurement while two others have been strongly endorsed by the RCPO on the strength of Salay LGU’s outstanding performance (Upgrading of Ampenican FMR and the construction of a two (2) barrel box culvert with approaches).
“This clearly manifests the absorptive capacity, technical and administrative capabilities of Salay LGU in terms of RI sub-project development, management, implementation and maintenance,” Mr. Maputol said in his report.