Benguet- NIA finishes 24 irrigation projects CY 2020

August 15, 2021 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- Some 863 farmers in the province are now benefitting from the 24 completed irrigation projects out of the 26 programmed for CY2020 conducted by the National Irrigation Administration-Benguet Satellite Office (NIA-Benguet).
Godofredo Velaque, head of NIA-Benguet, reported that 97 hectares (has.) were developed as new service areas while 179 has. were restored for a total of 276 has. Velaque added that some 497 jobs were generated from the said projects.
The agency received a total allocation of P103,010 allocation in 2020. The list of irrigation projects completed include— Balikatan Sagip Patubig Programs (BSPP) 10; Restoration/Repair/Rehab of Existing Communal Irrigation Systems (RRRECIS) 8; Extension/Expansion of Existing Communal Irrigation Systems 3; Small Irrigation Project (SIP) 2; and Establishment of Groundwater Pump Irrigation Project (EGPIP) 1.These BSPP projects are in—Atok Itogon Kapangan and Kabayan, Tuba and Tublay; EECIS—Bagong,Sablan; Cayapas,Kapangan, and Labayan Centro in Bangao, Buguias.
Small irrigation projects were located in –Ipit River Poblacion Liwen in Poblacion CIP, Kapangan;Nakidol Creek Poblacion Phase III and Mancayongoong SIP both in Buguias; and Laongan SIP in Kapangan.
Meanwhile, for CY 2021, Benguet-NIA with a total allocation of P88,853,000 has programmed 27 irrigation projects which is expected to benefit some 123 farmers across the province.
These irrigation projects include -small irrigation (10), sagip patubig and extension/expansion of communal irrigation each with six lined up projects; establishment of groundwater pump irrigation 3, among others.
Other related development, aimed at strengthening farmer-beneficiaries and facilitate the delivery of services, the agency conducted several activities that include—financial management and system management seminars, strategic planning and policies formulation, among others.
Primo Agatep/ABN