President Marcos was hoping that the Paitan Dam, which is expected to irrigate over 12,000 hectares in Pangasinan, would be operational by 2027.
Marcos wants Paitan Dam in Pangasinan to be completed by 2027
Municipality of Santa Maria, Pangasinan (RTVM)
Marcos led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Lower Agno River Irrigation System (LARIS) Paitan Dam on Friday, May 23, where he emphasized the benefits the dam would provide once it is completed.
"Hinihiling ko sana na matapos na ito sa 2027 o mas maaga pa kung maaari. Para naman maramdaman kaagad ng mga kababayan natin ang benepisyo ng LARIS Paitan Dam (I wish this could be finished in 2027 or earlier if possible. So that the people would promptly feel the benefits of the dam)," Marcos said.
In his speech, he highlighted that the dam once completed will be able to irrigate 12,041 hectares of agricultural land and directly benefit farmers from irrigators’ associations.
The Paitan Dam is a major irrigation infrastructure project by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 1. It is designed to harness the water resources of the Agno River, one of the Philippines’ largest river systems, to provide consistent and sustainable irrigation across farmlands in Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.
"Imbes na bumaha tuwing tag-ulan, ang gagawin natin ay iipunin natin ang tubig para mapakinabangan sa panahon ng tagtuyot (Instead of flooding during the rainy season, what we will do is collect the water so it can be used during times of drought)," Marcos said.
"Hindi na pangarap ang pagkakaroon ng tubig—tag-araw man o tag-ulan. Ang masaganang ani, [abot-kamay] na (Having water—whether it's summer or rainy season—is no longer just a dream. Bountiful harvests will be achieved)," he added.
The President also emphasized that the completion of the dam would lead to improved earnings of farmers.
"Dahil dito, dadami ang ani at inaasahan ang pagtaas ng produksyon ng palay (Because of this, harvest will increase and the production of palay is expected to get higher)," Marcos said.