The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Emerging Innovation for Growth Department (EIGD), and the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) jointly launched an evaluation project through a kick-off meeting on 22 January 2025 at the SEARCA Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. SEARCA was commissioned by the DA-PRDP to conduct the project titled Combined Endline and Baseline Evaluation Study for the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project, Assessing the Original Loan (OL), First Additional Financing (AF1) and Second Additional Financing (AF2) and Establishing Baseline for PRDP Scale-Up.
Started in 2014, the PRDP was initiated to increase rural income and productivity and to establish a modern, climate-resilient, and market-oriented agri-fishery sector through key rural infrastructure and agri-based investments. After a decade of implementation, a comprehensive evaluation has been deemed necessary to assess the performance of PRDP in achieving its goals and developmental objectives as well as its impacts on its beneficiaries. Thus, this evaluation project will offer evidence-based recommendations to guide the implementation of the PRDP Scale-Up initiative and other similar future projects.
Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director, opened the kick-off meeting by highlighting the center's nearly six-decade of commitment to advancing agriculture and rural development across the Southeast Asian Region.
The meeting served as an avenue to align expectations, discuss project objectives, and finalize the technical approach with the DA-PRDP and World Bank officials alongside the SEARCA project team. It also addressed initial concerns and clarify the technical approach, laying the groundwork for seamless project implementation. Dr. Ernesto Brown, SEARCA project team leader, led the discussion in reviewing the scope of the evaluation and data collection methods to ensure a unified understanding of the goals and processes of the project.
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Angelita Martir, OIC PRDP National Deputy Project Director, congratulated the SEARCA team on winning the consultancy bidding for this significant evaluation project. She emphasized PRDP's commitment to fully support and closely coordinate with SEARCA throughout the project's implementation.
This evaluation project marks another significant milestone in SEARCA's efforts in supporting evidence-based decision-making for sustainable agricultural development in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region.