The Project was developed to combat poverty and economic insufficiency in the province of Bukidnon. The BIADP's concept was based on Governor Carlos O. Fortich's program, the Integrated Area Development Management Program (IADMP) which was launched in September 1982. In the span of fifteen (15) years since its conceptualization, the project metamorphosed into Bukidnon Integrated Area Development Project (BIADP).

The Asian Development Bank approved a US $20-Million financial assistance & grants from DOF, source from the Bank's special fund resources, to the province of Bukidnon which took effect in October 1997. This amount covers 53.6 percent of the total project cost of US $37.3 Million. The province will provide a matching share of 32.5 percent or US $12.1 Million and the Land Bank of the Philippines 12 percent or US $4.5 Million.

The development objective of the Project is to improve the socioeconomic status of poor rural communities in the project area. This objective will be achieved through increased and sustained production of vegetables and other high-valued crops at five target sites and improved access to basic social services throughout the area.

The process through which project activities will be implemented is also intended to produce intangible but significant result: a strengthened Local Government Units and community-level capacity to initiate and manage development activities and to collaborate with private investors to produce and market high value crops.

The BIADP will be implemented in 115 barangays in seven municipalities in the northern plateau region of Bukidnon. The climate, natural resources, and arable land in this region have been identified by the Department of Agriculture as suitable for expanding the production of vegetables and other high-value crops and for developing Communal Irrigation Systems. The elevation ranges from 700 to 1,300 meters above sea level. The landscape is rolling terrain with slopes of 0-18 degrees, rising in the south of Mt. Kitanglad Range. Of the total arable areas of about 15,000 hectares, about 480 hectares of which are planted mainly with corn by small-holder farmers and 2,000 hectares are planted with pineapple by Del Monte Philippines, Inc. The landholdings per farm household range from 2 to 7 hectares. Forested slopes of above 18 degrees and mountain ranges to the south of the project area are reserved for watershed protection. The reserved lands include the Mt. Kitanglad National Park and its buffer zone.

Establishment of five (5) new CIS, each provided with drip irrigation facilities, covering a total area of about 1,160 hectares. The target population totals to about 2,000 farm households in five different locations.

Rehabilitation and upgrading of three segments of farm to market roads (and three bridges) linking four of the CIS to the provincial road system, with a total length of about 70 kilometers; and construction of the ten kilometer road (and three bridges) linking the fifth CIS to the existing national road.

Provision of community organizing and training activities to (I) assist farmers in each CIS in formulating Community Action Plans; (ii) assist the lumads, an indigenous cultural minority of the province, develop an indigenous people's plan to address their particular interests and constraints in participating in the project;

The project support for this aspect is aimed at training municipal extension staff so that they will be able to train farmers to (i) operate and maintain drip irrigation facilities (ii) transfer a transfer a proven integrated pest management (IPM) extension approach piloted under a previous Bank-supported TA2 to the five (CIS) sites; (iii) obtain and manage productions loans from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP); and (iv) set up a system for sharing market price information and promoting communication between farmers and private companies interested in contract-growing. The project will also provide consulting services to develop training modules on the O & M of each CIS, and construct a small facility for mass-rearing of parasitic insects for use in the IPM extension program. To enable extension workers to travel to the target communities easily, the Project will finance a revolving fund enable them to purchase motorbikes on installment basis.

The Project will sponsor a series of workshops every year during project implementation for project beneficiaries aimed at improving their practical knowledge of family health, nutrition, and child care and encouraging them to pool savings to invest in rural enterprises. The project will provide a small lump sum contract with a local university or training institution to provide resource speakers and trainers for workshops, to be organized by project beneficiaries under the guidance of community organizers. The workshops will cover a variety of topics, including but not limited to, credit management, sustainable agricultural technologies, investing in rural enterprises, cultivating home gardens to meet nutritional needs, and preventive health care.

Provision of production loans by Land Bank of the Philippines to farmers' cooperatives in the project area.

Construction of three Municipal Health Centers, about 27 Barangay Health Stations and about 35 Day Care Centers. All the facilities to be constructed will be fitted with water and electric supply.

Construction of rural water supply systems (Level II and III systems) in four municipalities and formation of Rural Water Supply Associations to operate and maintain such systems and collect water charges from consumers.

Provision of incremental recurrent expenses for Project Management; training of project staff, renovation of Project Management Office facilities; provision of office furniture and equipment and service vehicles; and operation and maintenance of the PMO facilities.