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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tolentino vows to ferret out the truth in alleged multi-million-peso NIA projects irregularities

Tolentino vows to ferret out the truth in alleged multi-million-peso NIA projects irregularities

Published Aug 2, 2023 08:03 am
Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino has vowed to ferret out the truth on the alleged multi-million pesos National Irrigation Administration (NIA) projects irregularities.  Tolentino stressed this when he presided over the Blue Ribbon Committee public hearing on the alleged NIA project irregularities today, Wednesday, August 2. The hearing was triggered by a privilege speech of Senator Raffy T. Tulfo that many irrigation projects are substandard, unfinished and have poor workmanship. During the hearing, he produced a "long list" of questionable contracts. He said the NIA has been fooling the people, particularly the farmers, all because of grease money.  Tolentino said he wanted to put an end what appeared to be a wide-scale corruption scheme that had persisted for many years in the agency.  “The one who is harmed is the one who should be blessed, our farmers,’’ he pointed out. "Agricultural production is decreasing, especially in rice production because of the defective irrigation systems,’’ he emphasized. Tolentino said the government spent a lot of money because of flawed and incomplete projects in our irrigation systems.  "If we put it together, it is a huge amount and the one who is suffering here is our countrymen,” Tolentino said in Filipino. New NIA acting administrator Eduardo Guillen promised Tulfo and Tolentino that he would look into the Tulfo allegations and would try to finish these projects. He stressed the importance of irrigation in the socio-economic agenda of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. Tulfo said that the Senate gave the NIA a budget of P15 billion in 2017; P20 billion in 2018-2019; P25 billion in 2020;  P19 billion in 2021; P22 billion in 2022. "Pero kung gaano naman kapursigi tayo dito magbigay ng budget, paatras ang estado ng irrigation development ng NIA (Despite our giving a budget to the NISA, the state of our irrigation is going backwards)," he said. "Mula 2008 hanggang 2021 ang growth ng irrigation development ay naka-lulugmok na 16.66 percent lang (From 2008 to 2021, the growth of our irrigation development is mired at 16.66 percent only," pointed out.   "If you look at this trend, it will take 30 years before it will be fully developed,"  he added. "In fact, support for water in agriculture projects accounts for the largest share of the World Bank’s support for agricultural productivity activities," he said. Tulfo cited the decades old Balog-balog Multipurpose Project that started during the presidency of Corazon C, Aquino. This project has been given a total appropriation of P12 billion from 2013 to 2022. The Balog balog project is supposed to provide year-round irrigation to 34,410 hectares of agricultural land in 10 municipalities benefitting 23,000 farmers but it met its "death throes" in Tarlac province. "As of 2023 po the contract has been terminated and subject for bidding again yet government is spending about P50 million a year for repair and maintenance," Tulfo said. He also cited the Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project sa Bulacan that started in 2015. Although it has been given an allocation of P990-million, it looks like the Roman Coliseum, Tulfo said showing a picture of the project during the hearing.   .  The project is supposed to irrigate ng 570 hectares of agricultural land for 500 local farmers Tulfo said the Marimay Project started in 2010 and was supposed to be completed in 2017 "per wala pa din (Nothing has been done so far)," He said P650-million has been appropriated for the project from 2015 to 2019 but only P230 million has been utilized for the project. Actual accomplishment rate is 52.73 percent. Fourth is the Dumuloc Project in Pangasinan with a P800-million budget  "Ang (the) overall accomplishment 1% (one percent only). Pero sa GAA ng 2023 may maintenance and operating expenses na 200 Million na (But there is an operating expense of P200 million in the 2023 budget),’’ he added. He cited other questionable projects whose costs are in the billions of pesos.

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National Irrigation Administration Senate blue ribbon Senator Francis N. Tolentino Senator Raffy Tulfo
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