The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) broke ground for a P1.3-billion irrigation project in Pangasinan which could help the irrigation of nearly 2,000 hectares of farmlands.

In a statement, NIA said it has already started the construction of the Dumoloc Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Dumoloc SRIP) located in Barangay Cayanga, Bugallon, Pangasinan.

The Dumoloc SRIP includes the construction of a zoned type earthfill dam across Dumoloc River, which will supplement the water supply to Cayanga, Cabatuan, and Laguit Dams, as well as the Drainage Reuse Points for Cabigaan Area.

Upon completion, the project will provide timely and reliable irrigation water supply to 1,825 hectares of agricultural land during wet season and 990 hectares of agricultural land during dry season with a cropping intensity of 180 percent. The project will benefit 1,400 farmers and their families.

Meanwhile, NIA also recently held a mass turnover ceremony of 11 completed irrigation projects to various irrigators associations (IAs) in Barangay Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet. With an aggregate cost of P35 million, these projects can irrigate 264 hectares of agricultural land in the municipality, benefitting 373 farmers and their families.

In his message during the turnover ceremony, NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya highlighted the devolution plans of the government under Executive Order (EO) No. 138 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), which mandates the national government to begin transferring certain functions to local government units (LGUs).

To recall, the Supreme Court's (SC) Mandanas-Garcia ruling affirmed that LGUs are entitled to a “just share” on all national taxes collected and not only from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

LGUs will then have an increase in the overall Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares and are expected to assume delivery of services that have been devolved to them under Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991.

Thus, the devolution entails that the development of communal irrigation systems will have to be turned over to the LGUs which are under the 1st to 4th class municipalities, Visaya further said.

Meanwhile, the development, operation, and maintenance of National Irrigation Systems (NISs), as well as those irrigation systems in the 5th to 6th class municipalities will remain under NIA.

Visaya said that while the devolution starts implementation in 2022, this will be done in a three-year transition period.

He explained that with the devolution program, NIA’s budget for calendar year 2022 was cut down from P42 billion to P32 billion.

“NIA is committed to continuously supporting and guiding local governments in terms of irrigation development core processes to ensure that no LGU is left behind. The Agency maximizes the opportunities brought by the SC Ruling to provide more efficient and improved irrigation services to the Filipino farmers, the agricultural heroes who feed the nation,” Visaya further said.