House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez led on Wednesday, April 30, led the inauguration of the ₱50-million Castañas Centro Communal Irrigation System (CIS) in Barangay Castañas, Sariaya, Quezon.

Romualdez says the project, which now irrigates 50 hectares and benefits 33 farmer-families, symbolizes more than just infrastructure development.

According to him, the event reaffirms the commitment of Congress to expand access to modern, sustainable irrigation systems for Filipino farmers.

It also emphasizes the life-changing impact of solar-powered pump irrigation projects (SPIPs) on rural communities.

“Narito tayo para magbukas ng mas malaking oportunidad para sa ating mga magsasaka at sa buong komunidad ng Sariaya (We are here to open greater opportunities for our farmers and the entire community of Sariaya),” Romualdez declared. 

“Simple ang layunin: siguraduhin na ang bawat tanim, bawat ani, at bawat pangarap ng ating mga magsasaka ay hindi mauubos dahil sa kakulangan ng tubig (The goal is simple: to ensure that every plant, every harvest, and every dream of our farmers won’t be lost due to lack of water)," he noted.

Romualdez highlighted the tangible benefits of solar irrigation, noting how it eases farmers’ burdens.

“Sa halip na gumastos ng hanggang ₱80,000 kada cropping season para sa diesel, ngayon po ay solar-powered na ang ating patubig—mas mura, mas maaasahan, at mas maka-kalikasan,” he said.

(Instead of spending up to ₱80,000 per cropping season on diesel, our irrigation is now solar-powered—more affordable, more reliable, and more environmentally friendly.)

The House leader stressed that supporting practical, grassroots-centered projects like SPIPs is a clear priority for Congress.

“Ito ang klase ng mga proyektong inuuna ng Kongreso: Praktikal. Direktang nakikinabang ang tao. Hindi drawing. Hindi papel (This is the kind of project Congress prioritizes: Practical. Directly benefiting the people. Not just drawings. Not just on paper),” underscored.the Leyte 1st district congressman.  

Such commitment is not isolated to Sariaya; During the 2025 Nationwide National Irrigation Administration-Irrigators Association (NIA-IA) Congress last month, Romualdez pledged continued congressional support for SPIPs nationwide, citing their role in uplifting agricultural communities.

For his part, NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen praised the House’s efforts.

He says that SPIPs are faster and cheaper to deploy compared to traditional irrigation systems—costing only ₱200,000 to ₱300,000 per hectare, compared to ₱1.2 million per hectare for conventional projects.

Guillen said NIA has completed around 1,000 SPIPs in 2024 and is on track to accomplish another 1,000 for this year.

Romualdez noted that Congress significantly increased NIA’s budget over the past two years.

“Alam natin ang kahalagahan ng patubig sa pagpapaunlad ng produksyon at agrikultura. We are committed to providing NIA with appropriate funding support for the expansion our irrigation system to help boost the productivity and uplift the lives of our farmers,” he said.

(We recognize the importance of irrigation in improving production and agriculture. We are committed to providing the NIA with adequate funding support for the expansion of our irrigation system to help increase productivity and enhance the lives of our farmers.)