THE National Irrigation Administration announced the completion of another major irrigation project worth P878 million, this time in the province of Nueva Ecija, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
NIA administrator, Ricardo ‘Bong’ Visaya, in a statement last May 20, 2021, said preparation for the formal inauguration and turnover to the beneficiaries of the ‘Upper Tabuating Small Reservoir Irrigation Project’ (Upper Tabuating SRIP), completed in December 2020, is being made for May 25, 2021.
Located in Bgy. Nazareth, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, the project involves the construction of ‘Earthfill Dam’ with a height above the lowest streambed of 25.56 meters and length of 760 meters. The project was carried out by the NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) Division III, now headed by Acting Division Manager Elenita L. Toquero, under the leadership of UPRIIS Department Manager Rosalinda B. Bote.
Even prior to the inauguration, Visaya noted the dam, which has a storage capacity of 4.96 million cubic meters, was able to irrigate the entirety of its target service area covering 700.87 hectares of agricultural land.
Beneficiaries would come from the 223 farm families distributed among the barangays of Nazareth, Rio Chico, Bago and San Mariano in the municipalities of General Tinio and Peñaranda.
The Upper Tabuating SRIP is the third irrigation project to be inaugurated of the four (4) projects scheduled this May.
It is also the third multi-million irrigation project (cost above P500 million) successfully completed by the agency thus far despite the Covid-19 pandemic, after the P913 million irrigation project in Bohol province and the P631 million Barbar SRIP in Ilocos Sur.
In Quirino, Visaya also announced the formal inauguration and turnover last May 18, 2021, of the first ever solar powered irrigation project in the province.
Located in Bgy. San Ramon, Aglipay, the P10.4 million is intended to irrigate about 20 hectares with 17 farmer beneficiaries.
The project includes installation of the solar pump system, construction of pump sump, water tanks and pipelines with complete accessories.
“It will significantly impact on agricultural development that will lift the economic well-being of the farmers in the area,” Visaya noted.
In attendance in the event were Municipal Mayor Jerry T. Agsalda, Barangay Captain Reynaldo Andrada, Ditabuan Balete IA Prresident Quirino P. Amoy, Regional Manager Raymundo B. Apil and QIMO Acting Division Manager Edison L. Tolentino who implemented the project.
Clarification from NIA
Meanwhile, Josias M. Mercado, NIA Office of Public Affairs, in a message to Pinoy Exposé, clarified that not all 23 projects in the agency’s calendar of activities for the next 3 months are for inauguration (Pinoy Exposé Issue No. 19; ‘NIA to inaugurate 23 projects in 3 months’).
“It is noted that only the site visit is scheduled for Bayabas Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Bayabas SRIP) located in the Municipality of DRT, Bulacan, Quipot Irrigation Project in Tiaong, Quezon is set for Partial Turnover, and Bohol Northeast Basin Multipurpose Dam Project is set for groundbreaking,” Mercado clarified.