The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has already completed and turned over irrigation projects worth P149,090,000 in the MIMAROPA region in 2024.
The projects are part of NIA’s ongoing efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and improve the livelihood of local farmers.
Spanning over 1,659.50 hectares of agricultural land, the irrigation systems are set to benefit at least 502 farmers and their families as of September 15, 2024.
NIA MIMAROPA Regional Manager Ronilio M. Cervantes, in his presentation during the 3rd Quarter Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (JRTF-ELCAC) meeting in Manila on September 20, emphasized that these initiatives are part of the agency’s broader strategy to meet its irrigation targets.
“The irrigation projects were handed over to the beneficiaries, ensuring that more communities will have access to reliable irrigation systems,’ said Cervantes.
Meanwhile, the following provinces with their respective municipalities benefited from the projects, namely Occidental Mindoro – San Jose and Abra de Ilog; Oriental Mindoro – Naujan and Bulalacao; and Palawan – Roxas, Taytay, San Vicente, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Rizal, and Sofronio Española.
Currently, NIA MIMAROPA has proposed projects under JRTF-ELCAC for the Calendar Year 2025, composed of the construction and repair of canal lining and structures in Abra de Ilog and Paluan in Occidental Mindoro with a total cost of P7 million, benefiting 43 farmers, and the construction of diversion works, canal lining, and canal structures in Dumaran, Palawan with a total cost of P32 million, benefiting 80 farmers.
Cervantes said that by constructing and upgrading irrigation systems, NIA aims to provide a consistent water supply to farmlands, increase crop yields, and enable farmers to grow multiple crops yearly. (LTC/PIA MIMAROPA)
