Through the initiatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government - Nueva Ecija, the first-ever Provincial Poverty Reduction Action Team (PPRAT) organizational meeting in the region was held together with the conduct of the Implementation Review FY 2014- FY 2016 Bottom-Up Budgeting Projects on June 2, 2015 at the Amphiteater, Old Capitol Compound, Cabanatuan City.

Among the participants were Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators, BUB Focal Persons, DILG Field Officers, UBAS Representatives, LPRAT Co-Chairman/CSO Representatives and other guests.

"Convergence of NGAs, UBAS representatives, CSOs and other sectors in the project implementation has a good impact in the fast track completion of the projects," said Regional Director Florida M. Dijan, DPA, CESO III, in her message as keynote speaker.

"I would also like to commend the initiatives of DILG-Nueva Ecija, with PD Pascua as the head, in the organization of PPRAT and the conduct of such organizational meeting being first initiated in the region, as well as the conduct of implementation review of BUB Projects," she added.
Provincial Director and concurrent Assistant Regional Director Abraham A. Pascua, Ph. D., CESO III, stressed the standing order of the project implementation that by the end of September 2015, BUB Project Implementation FY 2014 and FY 2015 status must be 80 % and 50 % completed, respectively.

Moreover, he also expounded the significance of Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS) Representatives participation in monitoring of project implementations as part of PPRAT and Technical Working Group.

PD Pascua also presented the BUB Project Implementation FY 2014 - FY 2016 Status Report under DILG and other implementing NGAs. Furthermore, BUB Focal Persons of other implementing NGAs: Mr. Allyp Baybayan (DSWD), Mr. Arnello G. Ocampo (DOLE), Ms. Lilibeth M. Velaso (TESDA), Mr. Luis Calison (DepEd), Mr. Gerald Dennis Suyayen (DTI), Ms. Marivic Santos (DENR), Mr. Benjie Baltazar (DA) and Ms. Loida Maximo (DOH) presented the BUB Projects Status Report of their respective agencies.

As the elected PPRAT Chair, PD Pascua initiated the election of other officers. Among them were: Vice Chairman, Mr. Michael Calma (OIC-PPDO); Secretary- General, Rev. Fr. Aldrin Domingo, Diocese of Cabanatuan City; and CSO Representatives, Romulo Alejandro and Nonito Esteban (District 1), Mercedes Yabut and Marivic Lumibao (District 2), Aurora Gaston and Cristina Francisco (District 3) and Danilo Padolina and Lucila Concepcion (District 4). PPRAT Technical Working Group was also created to ensure regular monitoring of projects and as a modality to fast track project implementation.
PPRAT as a team will create an action plan to address issues and problems encountered particularly the interruption and delay of project implementation.