Former Senate president Franklin Drilon on Sunday, July 14 thanked the past administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III and incumbent President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the completion of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project (JRMP II).
Drilon said that while they may be political rivals, both the Aquino and Marcos administrations deserve the credit for the successful completion of JRMP II which is considered a landmark endeavor especially for the people of Iloilo.
“Give credit where it is due,” Drilon said.
The Jalaur's three major dams are set to be inaugurated on July 16. The National Irrigation Administration Region VI said they have invited President Marcos Jr. to lead the inauguration ahead of his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“The Aquino administration, under the late President Noynoy Aquino, moved heaven and earth to secure funding for the project’s second phase, decades after its initial conceptualization in the 1960s,” Drilon recalled.
“In 2023, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. approved the release of additional funds necessary for the project’s completion, continuing the project first initiated by his father,” the former lawmaker said.
He said the project’s journey began under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who completed the first phase in 1983.
Last July 19, 2023, the NEDA Board meeting chaired by President Marcos, the board approved the loan restructuring worth P8.48 billion for the completion of JRMP II.
"We extend our gratitude to President Marcos and the late President Aquino for prioritizing this vital infrastructure project, which is crucial for addressing the country's food security challenges," Drilon said.
"This is a legacy project that unites political names, and I am proud to have played a crucial role in bringing this six-decade-old vision to completion," Drilon said.
The first phase of the project began in the 1960s after the fourth Congress passed Republic Act 2651, mandating the construction of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project. Despite its promising start, the project's second phase faced multiple delays due to funding shortages.
But the Aquino administration moved to revitalize the project which officially commenced in 2011.
Through Drilon’s efforts, the administration was able to obtain crucial funding from the Korean Exim Bank which extended a $207-million loan to the Philippines, considered to be the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) project from South Korea to the Philippines.
The loan carried a very low interest rate of 0.15% per annum. China’s interest rate.
Drilon said he is confident that JRMP II has the potential to boost rice production, thus, help in stabilizing rice prices—a major inflation driver in the country.