By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) head Ricardo Visaya led on Tuesday the signing of five contract agreements for the implementation and acquisition of P1.99-billion worth of irrigation projects and heavy equipment across the country.
National Irrigation Administration (MANILA BULLETIN)
The projects include the P322.83-million Ibato-Iraan Earthfill Dam located in Aborlan, Palawan represented by Green Asia Construction and Development Corporation representative Renato Legaspi Jr.; P455.84-million Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation Project in Ifugao province represented by Tokwing Construction Corporation/ASC Construction and Concrete Products managing officer Abraham Collado; P333.37-million Sulvec Earthfill Dam in the municipality of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte represented by R.D. Interior Junior Construction general manager Ricardo Interior Jr.; P832.97-million Balbalungao Earthfill Dam in Lupao, Nueva Ecija represented by P.L. Sebastian Construction, Inc./R.D. Interior Junior Construction, also represented by Interior; and P45.5-million heavy equipment represented by Civic Merchandising Inc. Machine sales engineer Aubrey Fe Bartolata.
Ibato-Iraan Zone Earthfill Dam has a reservoir storage capacity of 2.388 million cubic meters, which will irrigate about 860 hectares of farmlands in the four barangays of Sagpangan, Ibato, Iraan, and Maligaya in Aborlan, Palawan. The source of water will come from Ibato and Iraan Rivers.
Once completed, it will be considered as the biggest irrigation project in Palawan, which will benefit 425 farmers and their families.
Meanwhile, the Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation Project is a multi-year locally-funded irrigation project, which aims to provide substantial and timely water supply for irrigation to agricultural lands in three barangays of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao.
The project, which will source water from the Magat Reservoir, is expected to irrigate around 2,300 hectares of agricultural lands in the area, benefitting 2.800 farmers and their families.
The Sulvec Small Reservoir Irrigation Project with a service area of 900 hectares covers nine barangays in Pasuquin town, namely, Caruan, Estancia, Nagsanga, Nalvo, Salpad, Pragata, Sulbec, Sulungan, and Susugaen, and will benefit 792 farmers and their families.
Similarly, Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project with a service area of 840 hectares aims to provide sustainable development in the rural area by improving agricultural productivity in support to the agricultural program of the government.
The project will utilize the water resources from the Balbalungao River through the construction of 27-meter high embankment dam, canal network and appurtenant structures, and the rehabilitation of the existing dam of San Isidro Communal Irrigation System envisioned to eventually function as a regulator dam.
The contract agreement for the acquisition of eight units of wheeled loader costing P45.5-million is part of NIA's three-year re-fleeting program from 2017 to 2019.