ILOILO CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the additional P8.4-billion needed to finish the construction of the mega dam project in Iloilo province.
Marcos, as chairman of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, recently approved the modifications for the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II (JRMP-II) in Calinog town.
“We sincerely thank President Marcos Jr. and NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen for their unprecedented support,” said JRMP-II Project Manager Jonel Borres.
The mega dam project was lobbied by Ilonggo Sen. Franklin Drilon and initially had a budget of P11.2 billion.
Of the P11.2 billion, P8.9 billion was loaned from the Export-Import Bank of Korea while the remaining P2.3 billion was shouldered by the national government.
JRMP-II spokesperson Steve Cordero told Manila Bulletin that when the President approved the modifications, it included extension of project implementation period and loan validity.
The JRMP-II, which aims to boost rice production in Iloilo, was supposed to be completed by February 9, 2023.
But contractor Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd of South Korea fell behind due to several factors, including inflation rate that impacted the cost of both construction materials and labor, delay caused by Covid-19 restrictions and unfavorable weather at the construction site for the three dams and its reservoirs.
The JRMP-II is scheduled to be operational by next year and is 68.56 percent finished and two of the three dams are almost complete.
The Jalaur High Dam, the biggest of the three dams, is scheduled to be completed by 2025 and currently is 99 meters high out of the 109-meter design.