ILOILO CITY – The National Irrigation Administration announced that the detailed engineering for the mega dam project in Capiz province is almost complete.
AN aerial photo of the Panay River Basin in Capiz province. (DENR-6)
NIA-6 Regional Director Engr. Jonel B. Borres said the detailed engineering design (DED) for the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) is 91 percent complete.
Once the DED is complete, pre-construction of the almost P20-billion dam project in Tapaz town can start sometime in 2025.
Speaking at this week’s Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, Borres said that NIA is still processing necessary permits for the PRBIDP.
Among these are from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), particularly the formal consent from the Panay Bukidnon indigenous peoples (IPs) who might be affected by the project.
The PRBIDP is among the key projects listed under the 2023-2028 Western Visayas Regional Development Plan.
Last July, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said that the PRBIDP is a priority project targeted for completion before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. steps down in 2028.
The PRBIDP will cover the towns of Tapaz, Jamindan, Dumalag, Sigma, Mambusao, Dao, Cuartero, Maayon, Panay, Panitan, and Pontevedra, as well as the provincial capital of Roxas City.
The PRBIDP will benefit farmers in three Iloilo towns: Lemery, San Rafael, and Bingawan.
It is set to benefit more than 25,000 farmers by irrigating more than 26,000 hectares of farmland.
The PRBIDP also has components for hydro-electric power, flood control, and potable water supply.