SEARCA tapped to lead PH rural dev’t project evaluation

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has been commissioned to lead the evaluation of the Philippine Rural Development Project of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Initiated in 2014, the PRDP is a DA flagship program intended to increase rural incomes, modernize the agri-fishery sector, and establish climate-resilient and market-oriented investments. After over a decade of implementation, this evaluation seeks to assess the program’s performance, measure its impact on beneficiaries, and generate evidence-based recommendations to guide the next phase of the PRDP and similar future initiatives.

The kick-off meeting for the “Combined Endline and Baseline Evaluation Study for the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project” was held on 22 January 2025 at the SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna.

The study will assess the outcomes of the Original Loan (OL), First Additional Financing (AF1), and Second Additional Financing (AF2). It will also establish a baseline for the PRDP Scale-Up initiative designed to expand and sustain the gains of the original project.

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director, highlighted the importance of the evaluation in assessing the progress made by the PRDP and identifying areas for improvement to promote sustainable agricultural development.

He also highlighted SEARCA’s long and successful history of improving agriculture and rural communities in Southeast Asia, spanning almost 60 years, which makes the Center a trustworthy partner for this important study.

The kick-off meeting served as a venue to align expectations, finalize technical approaches, and address initial concerns among the SEARCA team led by its Emerging Innovation for Growth Department (EIGD), DA-PRDP representatives, and World Bank officials.

Dr. Ernesto Brown, the study’s team leader, led the discussion and outlined the evaluation scope and data collection methods to ensure a unified understanding of the project objectives.

At the close of the meeting,  Angelita Martir, Officer-in-Charge and National Deputy Project Director of PRDP, remarked that “PRDP remains committed to fully supporting SEARCA in delivering a thorough and insightful evaluation.

“This study will provide invaluable guidance for future project implementation and scaling,” she said.