The spirit of collaboration and teamwork filled the halls of The Farm @ Carpenter Hill in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, as the RAPID Growth Project convened for its 2026 Midyear Assessment and Planning last 22-24 June 2026.

The three-day coordination meeting brought together officials from the DTI Head Office, DTI Regional Directors and Assistant Directors, and the National Project Coordination Office alongside all Regional and Provincial Coordination Units. This full convening worked to take stock of where the project stands, sharpen its implementation, celebrate what has been accomplished, and chart the path toward sustainability beyond the project's completion.

The stories told during the meeting spoke louder than any report. Implementing units from across the project areas shared concrete updates on their progress, complemented by success stories of farmers/organizations, MSMEs, and firms that have emerged stronger through project support.

The discussions covered every angle—from value chain development and rural finance to project management, monitoring and evaluation, and targeting strategy—and teams working on the different components of the project emerged with actionable agreements geared towards improving project implementation.

DTI Financial Service Director Maria Asuncion Cruzada held one-on-one sessions with each Regional Coordination Unit and their respective provincial units to assess fiscal capacity and ensure the project stays financially stable through to its 2027 completion.

The final day carried perhaps the most forward-looking work of all. A series of intensive workshops brought together project implementers from all seven regions and 21 provinces to refine the framework of Exit Strategy and Sustainability Plan—a shared commitment to sustaining gains, deepening beneficiary ownership, and securing a future for the communities the project serves long after implementation ends.

With one year of implementation remaining, the RAPID Growth Project is doubling down on its commitment: to ensure our rural communities emerge stronger, more connected, and better positioned for sustainable growth beyond the project.