TANDAG CITY, Philippines – In its desire to continue extending assistance to far-flung communities in the Philippines, particularly in the Pacific Ocean facing province of Surigao del Sur, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) based in Rome and Italy is willing to give additional funding assistance for programs and projects in the area.

It was learned that IFAD is implementing its program in the province of Surigao del Sur through the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) North Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (NMCIRMP).

The IFAD, under the NMCIRMP, already implemented P120 million worth of various projects in the three towns of Surigao del Sur.

The three big projects include irrigations, farm-to-market (FMR) roads with bridges, organic rice production, and marine protected area.

The program also implemented six other components such as the community institution and participatory development, infrastructure, natural resources management, support to the Indigenous People (IP), health, social services and education, and project management.

The willingness of the IFAD-Rome, Italy-based fund program to continue some other projects in the province of Surigao del Sur is because of its good and satisfactory rating performance during its recent assessment and evaluation of the projects implemented in the towns of Cortes, Carmen, and Madrid.

Dorothy Lucks and Mark Keating, team leader and lead evaluator of IFAD project performance assessment, respectively, were in the tree towns of the province recently and personally assessed the implemented projects.

“The IFAD is willing to continue other projects in the province,” said Bernecita Rojas, provincial project coordination office chief.

The official also said the IFAD-Rome, Italy-based fund evaluators were pleased with the result of their assessment and evaluation of the projects implemented in the towns of Carmen, Madrid, and Cortes that they personally conducted.

Rojas stressed that the province got an “A+” rating for six years alongside with its components.

As this developed, Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny T. Pimentel was very much pleased with the desire of the IFAD-Rome, Italy-based fund assistance upon learning of the development.

“We, the provincial and municipal officials of this province, extend our heartfelt gratitude on their plans,” he pointed out.