House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The House of Representatives, which holds the power of the purse, will provide the needed funds to ensure the completion of the Jalaur River multi-purpose dam and irrigation system project in Iloilo. 

This was announced Thursday, April 25 by no less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who noted that the project would help  irrigate thousands of hectares of farmlands in Iloilo and produce electricity. 

He made the commitment after receiving a briefing on the project from National Irrigation Administration (NIA) officials in Iloilo City. 

The meeting was one of a series of events in Iloilo attended by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Speaker Romualdez, other House officials led by Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin. 

“We will make sure that this irrigation system is completed as part of the program of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to see to it that there is food, at least the basic staple rice, on every Filipino household’s table,” Romualdez said. 

Accompanying the Speaker was House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co. Co's committee leads the deliberation on the proposed national budget during the annual budget season in the House. 

Romualdez said the project would provide irrigation water to farmers, especially in rice-producing areas such as Iloilo. He noted that the province is one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country 

“We will help our farmers with other inputs as well, like seeds, fertilizer, farm equipment. We will also assist them in marketing their produce by building farm-to-market roads,” he stressed. 

He added that building irrigation systems is critical in times like the currently raging El Niño extended dry season phenomenon. 

Flordalie Padillo, Information Officer of Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II informed the Speaker that the project is 74.31 percent complete as of March 2024. 

She said the project would increase rice production in Iloilo as well as provide water and electricity to the province and its capital, Iloilo City. 

The multi-purpose dam would also accommodate other livelihood projects by early 2026 such as inland fishery, eco-cultural tourism, and additional renewal energy through a floating solar power farm. 

South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering and Construction is the international contractor of the project, which as of March this year is already 75 percent complete. 

The Jalaur river originates from Mt. Baloy in the central Panay mountain range. It traverses through Passi City and the towns of Calinog, San Enrique, Dueñas, Dingle, Dumangas, Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Zarraga, and Leganes.