National Irrigation Administration-Cordillera completes 229 irrigation projects for CY-2017

April 21, 2018 Community Billboard

LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – Some 229 irrigation projects with a total cost of P823,484,000.68 were completed in the Cordillera region as of March 15, 2018.
This is according to Benito Espique Jr., acting regional director of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Cordillera.
Espique said a total of 1,197 hectares were new irrigation areas were generated while 521 hectares (ha) of existing irrigation systems were restored.
The NIA office in Kalinga and Benguet completed the most number of irrigation projects with 80 and 73, respectively, followed by Mt. Province with 35, Ifugao 19, Abra 16 while Apayao 6.
Among the completed irrigation projects include a component of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and rehabilitation projects under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).
The NIA official said the remaining 76 projects are expected to be completed this June. Actually, there are 305 irrigation projects programmed for 2017 with a total allocation of P1,101,278,000.
Among the on-going projects include the Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation System in Ifugao and Marimay Small Reservoir Irrigation project in Apayao, with a total allocation of P117,000,000.
Espique said the NIA-CAR budget for 2018 increased to P1,585,563,000 to irrigate a total of 2,823 hectares of new areas, and the restoration of 407 hectares of existing irrigation facilities.
NIA-CAR records showed that Kalinga province has 44,190 hectares of potential irrigable area, Benguet has 25,746 (ha), Mt Province 30,060 (ha), Ifugao 25,830 (ha), Abra 25670 (ha) while Apayao has 33,910 (ha).
Espique emphasized that his agency had strengthened its partnership with the farmers groups and various irrigators associations in region through trainings and assistance to irrigations systems aimed at increasing farmers’ production. PRIMO AGATEP / ABN