The Department of Agriculture (DA) through the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has earmarked P260 million for the construction, rehabilitation, and restoration of 60 small irrigation projects (SIPs) in the province of Antique.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the projects will be undertaken by the DA-NIA under its Irrigated Rice Production Enhancement Project (IRPEP) funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
He made the announcement during a farmers’ forum in the town of Barbaza, Antique, where he also led a simple turnover of two completed IRPEP-funded SIPs in Mablad and Bugnay.
Secretary Alcala said IRPEP is a joint initiative of the DA-NIA in partnership with the host local government units (LGUs), and Irrigators’ Associations (IAs). The project implements a 70-20-10 counterparting scheme, where the DA-NIA shoulders 70 % of the total CIS cost, the LGUs 20 percent, and the beneficiary IAs 10 percent. Thus, for the entire IRPEP, the DA-NIA will allot P182M, the LGUs P52M, the IAs P26M.
The Project aims to restore about 2.282 ha and rehabilitate about 1,589 ha that would bring normal irrigation to 6,165 ha benefiting 7,368 farmers in the Province of Antique.
Meanwhile, the NIA has completed another two small irrigation projects in Antique and turned over to Irrigators Associations for operation and maintenance. The two projects are just one of the completed irrigation projects of the NIA in its fast-tracking commitment of completing the rehabilitation, restoration, and construction of various irrigation projects in the country. The two projects have a combined irrigated area of about 60 hectares benefiting 70 farmers costing P3M.
The Mablad and Bugnay Small Irrigation Projects are one of the sixty projects under the Irrigated Rice Production Enhancement Project (IRPEP) in Antique with an overall total estimated project cost of P260M. Once the rehabilitation, restoration, and construction of these projects were completed, they will have a combined irrigated area of 6,165 ha benefiting 7,368 farmers.
Completion of irrigation projects is in line with the Rice Self-Sufficiency Program of the government as these contribute to more productive and harvestable area.
The turnover of the completed projects was done during the AgriPinoy Farmers Forum held in the Municipality of Barbaza, in Antique. It was witnessed by no less than DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel, Antique Governor Exequiel Javier, Congressman Paolo Javier, Barbaza Mayor Faith Francisco and other LGU Executives, NIA officials and Irrigators’ Associations.
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