NIA-CORDILLERA INCREASES IRRIGATED AREAS CONTRIBUTING TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

December 30, 2022 Provincial

Mt. Province posts a record high of completed irrigation projects

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

An initial 156 irrigation projects for CY 2022 were completed in various parts of the, benefitting some 17,807 farmers, the National Irrigation Administration -Cordillera (NIA-CAR) said. Based on the Status of Project Implementation report to Engr. Benito Espique, Jr, Regional Manager ,NIA-CAR by Sammy Kimbungan, Supervising Engineer (Construction), as of December 15 (2022), the agency has generated 2,657 hectares (ha.)of new areas while it restore 963.15 ha. for a of 3,620.15 ha.

NIA- Mountain Province, headed by Engineer Liza Jane Challikis, the first woman provincial manager of the agency, demonstrated leadership-putting premium and teamwork with her hard
working staff and strong collaboration with irrigators associations (IAs), posted a record high of 44 completed irrigations projects.

Five more projects are expected to be finished before the year ends. Topping Mt. Province’ completed irrigation systems are- Small Irrigation Project (SIP) 28, repair of Communal Irrigation Project (CIP) 15, and one Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program-Irrigation Component (CARP-ICCARPIC Kalinga, the rice producing province in the Cordilleras finished 51, followed by Benguet 25,Abra 21, Ifugao 8, and Apayao 7.

As per fund source, completed projects include Establishment of Groundwater Pump Irrigation Project (EGPIP) Solar and EFuel, Balikatan Sagip Patubig Program (BSPP), Extension/Expansion of Existing Communal Irrigation System (EEECIS), Restoration/ Repair/Rehabilitation of Existing Communal Irrigation System (RRRECIS), Small Irrigation Project (SIP), and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Irrigation Component (CARP-IC). Other works include repair and restoration canal and pipe lining, and improvement of service roads.

Meanwhile, in 2021 the agency completed a total of 121 projects out of the 122 programmed works, generating 904 ha. of new areas and restored 1,329.28 ha. for a total of 2,233.28 ha. ,benefitting a
total 9,313 farmers, and generated a total of 5,930 jobs.

Primo Agatep/ABN