The Regional Development Council VIII – Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RDC VIII-RPMC) conducted its 3rd Quarter 2018 Meeting on 31 August 2018 in Tacloban City. In attendance were 17 regular members of the Committee and 20 resource persons and guests from concerned implementing agencies and local government units.

The Committee discussed updates on the implementation of critical projects such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) VIII-implemented PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Projects, school building projects for the post-Yolanda resettlement areas, and the Yolanda Permanent Resettlement Program.

Initiatives to improve the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the Committee were also taken up, such as possible access and linkage with the Project and Contract Management Application (PCMA) of the DPWH and participation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as a special member of the RPMC VIII.

In said meeting, the Committee endorsed the following resolutions to the RDC VIII: 1) approve the participation of the AFP as special member of RPMC VIII; 2) approve the proposed RPMC VIII Construction Excellence Awards; 3) request the Department of National Defense (DND) and DPWH to expedite the execution of an agreement for the Engineering Battalion of the AFP to formally take over the implementation of unimplemented and terminated PAMANA projects; 4) request the DPWH to provide access to their PCMA for RDC VIII and RPMC VIII monitoring purposes and to enjoin the DPWH to link up their monitoring system with other monitoring systems in the region; and 5) request the DPWH – Northern Samar 1st District Engineering Office to address the issues on the problematic implementation of school building projects in their area.

These resolutions shall be elevated to the RDC VIII Full Council in its 3rd quarter meeting on 13 September 2018.

Article by Mary Fretzie R. Basal, PMED, NEDA VIII