BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) here will temporarily assume the responsibility of ensuring the flow of water from the controversial Colocol Communal Irrigation System (CCIS) that will benefit hundreds of farmers of the Bayombong-Solano-Villaverde Federation of Irrigators Association (BSVFIA).
The CCIS operation will start on February 15 to enable farmers to sufficiently irrigate their farmlands before the cropping season.
The agreement was reached during a dialogue between NIA officials and irrigators associations of the Colocol Irrigators’ Federation Inc. (Cifi), the Colocol Irrigators Multipurpose Coop Inc. (Cimpci) and the Municipal Alliance of Solano Irrigators Association (Masia) at the NIA compound here in a bid to address the year–old conflict of farmers over the control of the irrigation water .
The insufficient flow of water has affected farmers’ bid to attain the five-croppings-in-two-years program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for more than a year. “We will await for the clearing or cleaning of downstream canals, especially Barangay San Nicolas in Bayombong town and Barangay Bascaran in Solano town,” said Roland Apaga, NIA assistant irrigation officer.
NIA’s temporary management of the CCIS, which benefits 6,000 farmers, came in a bid to assist the affected farmers especially with the upcoming dry or summer season.
“This is a win-win solution for the moment so that our farmers will not be affected by the insufficient flow of irrigation water,” Provincial Irrigation Officer Francisco Domingsil said.
A subsequent agreement during the dialogue also involves the collection of irrigation service fees imposed by NIA of P100 per hectare per cropping among farmers.
This will be undertaken by their respective irrigation association officials which will be remitted to the NIA, Cifi and Cimpci have laid legal claims on the water rights issued by the NIA’s Water Regulatory Board (WRB) before the court.
The National Water Resources Board (NWRB), in its decision dated October 29, 2013, approved the transfer of water permit and dismissed the opposition of the Cimpci.
In its February 7, 2014, decision, the NWRB again upheld its original decision and denied Cimpci’s motion for reconsideration for lack of merit.
Cifi Spokesman Peter Dumelod welcomed the temporary control of irrigation water by the NIA and urged all stakeholders to recognize their right as the sole water permittee at present.
“We have no decision or temporary restraining order from the courts yet [that would prevent] our right as water permittee and, therefore, we are appealing for your recognition and understanding toward a peaceful resolution of these issues and concerns,” he said.
The dialogue also laid down a dialogue between NIA and concerned irrigators and farmers associations sometime this month to address other issues and concerns of the farmers’ sector.