MANILA, Philippines — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently inaugurated P1.17 billion worth of irrigation projects in the MIMAROPA region.
In a statement, the NIA-MIMAROPA said it inaugurated the P890-million Bongabong River Irrigation Project on March 29, which aims to provide reliable irrigation water to 6,000 hectares of farmland.
The project also includes 5,500 cubic meters design flood, intake structure with over 41 kilometers of main canal and 45 kilometers of Lateral canals, complete with irrigation structures and facilities.
The NIA pointed out that the Bongabong River Irrigation Project serves as a dependable supplemental source of water for the 2,095 hectares of rice fields from various existing communal irrigation systems in the area.
“This irrigation system has also generated 4,152 hectares of potential irrigable area,” it said.
NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya said the project would benefit about 3,000 farmers in the municipalities of Bongabong, Roxas and Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro.
Visayas said the Irrigators Association should take care of the project since it will provide the irrigation water that they need.
Aside from the Bongabong project, NIA said 20 communal irrigation projects were also inaugurated in the MIMAROPA region.
These include 13 projects with a total amount of P204 million which will irrigate 676 hectares of farmland in Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon and 379 farmer beneficiaries.
In addition, five irrigation projects worth P59 million in Occidental Mindoro were also inaugurated, which will serve 192.5 hectares of farmland in the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Magsaysay and Sablayan and will benefit 129 farmers.
Two projects worth P20 million were also inaugurated in Palawan which will irrigate 68 hectares and will benefit 26 farmers in the municipalities of Rizal and El Nido.
The recently inaugurated projects in MIMAROPA will provide irrigation water to 6,795.50 hectares of farmland in the region with 1,784 farmer beneficiaries.
NIA-MIMAROPA office improvements and facilities like training center, covered court, lactation room and clinic were also inaugurated.
“As an agency responsible for the irrigation development of the country, NIA-MIMAROPA ensures that implementation of these projects is in accordance with NIA’s vision to provide efficient irrigation service for the inclusive growth of the country and in the improvement of the farmers’ quality of life particularly in these trying times,” the agency said.
Last month, President Duterte approved the transfer of oversight of the NIA back to the Department of Agriculture (DA), which was under the office of the president.
The NIA was under the DA’s jurisdiction from October 1992 until it was transferred to the Office of the President in 2014 through executive order 165.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar earlier welcomed the move to transfer back the oversight of the NIA to the DA as this would lead to better water management and crop scheduling.
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The article was originally published in PhilStar Global and written by Catherine Talavera.
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