Senator Raffy Tulfo slammed the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) for what he called their unfinished and non-operational Balog Balog Dam project Phase 2 in San Jose, Tarlac.
During the plenary deliberations on Monday, Nov. 18, for the proposed budget of NIA for 2025, Tulfo questioned the collection of ₱261 million yearly for repair and maintenance costs, asking the agency why they requested such a budget again when there is nothing to maintain and operate.
Tulfo presented before the committee a series of photos personally taken by his staff on Nov. 7, 2024 showing the unfinished and inactive project that according to him, NIA obviously neglected.
Sen. Imee Marcos, who defended the NIA budget, explained that NIA claimed that the fund was being used for maintenance of Balog Balog Phase 1, which Tulfo found to be false as the previous year’s budget clearly stated Phase II.
“Bakit gagastusin niyo para sa Phase 1 ang budget na allocated para sa Phase 2? Hindi po katanggap-tanggap para sa akin iyan (Why are you using the budget allocated for Phase 2 for Phase 1? That is not acceptable to me),” he said.
This prompted NIA to retract its claim, saying that the ₱261 million remains unspent and will be carried over for the upcoming years, once the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) approves the extension of the deadline of the project to 2028 despite it being started more than 50 years ago.
NIA eventually promised Tulfo that they will not anymore request a budget for repair and maintenance costs of Balog Balog Dam project Phase 2 in 2025.
Notably, the NIA Board accepted the request for the Endorsement to the NEDA-ICC regarding the Request for Extension of Project Implementation, Change in Scope and Increase in Cost – which also surprised Tulfo. The new proposal indicates the extension of project implementation from 2013-2027 to 2013-2028 with an increase in cost from ₱14.50 billion to a whopping to ₱18.8 billion.
Due to the proposed budget increase, Tulfo again questioned NIA what assurance they can give the public that the project will be completed in 2028, considering that project construction in the area remains pending and the right-of-way issues being unresolved as proven by the visit of his staff there. NIA insisted that they are merely waiting for the project approval from NEDA-ICC
NIA even shared that the overall accomplishment of said project as of December 31, 2023 is 50.02 percent based on the revised total project cost, which is contrary to the photos and videos of Balog Balog taken by Tulfo’s staff.
Furthermore, Tulfo asked NIA for a project plan or feasibility study, but they failed to present one. Instead, the agency promised to the Senator that they will furnish his Office a copy of said document, which earned the ire of Tulfo.
Tulfo said NIA should have come prepared knowing that their budget is being deliberated. He also promised that he will keep on pounding the agency until it's cleansed from its "corrupt" officials and personnel.
Aside from this, wants NIA officials who are involved in the anomalous projects amounting to billions of pesos investigated.
“What I want is that someone should be held accountable. They should be investigated by the Ombudsman and they should be dismissed or should resign if you ask me. With so many people to deceive, why particularly deceive our farmers,” Tulfo said in Filipino.
He mentioned several other projects that have been hounded by irregularities and negligence.
Among these other projects are the P990.37-million Bulo Small River Irrigation Project in San Miguel Bulacan and the 997.4-million Macalelon Small Reservoir Irrigation Project which aims to irrigate a total of 830 hectares of agricultural land in 10 barangays in the Municipality of Macalelon, benefiting at least 700 farmers and their families.