The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has recently held a groundbreaking and capsule laying ceremony for an earthfill dam, expected to be completed in 2023.
“This is the first groundbreaking ceremony after the government declared lockdown due to Covid-19,” NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya said in his message when he led the groundbreaking and capsule laying ceremony for the P832.97-million Balbalungao Earthfill Dam on July 2 in Lupao, Nueva Ecija.
Visaya expressed optimism that the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (BSRIP), which will provide quality irrigation system, will be completed in November 2023. “In our modest way, it is always our mission to improve the well-being of the farmers.”
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, who served as the event’s guest of honor and speaker, delivered his speech through a prerecorded video. Nograles said he finds the event “historic” for being the first groundbreaking of NIA while the country is in quarantine.
With this project, he said he wishes the pursuit of higher agricultural productivity, and higher yield and income for the farmers. “Ang buong Nueva Ecija na siya namang Rice Granary of the Philippines ang makikinabang dito sa proyektong ito.”
As the Chairman of Task Force on Zero Hunger, Nograles said he is pursuing the Enhanced Partnership Against Poverty and Hunger (EPAPH) program wherein the connection of the Irrigators Associations (IAs) to the government’s feeding programs are being established. The products of the IAs are aimed to feed the government beneficiaries.
He said he hopes that more IAs in Central Luzon will take part in EPAPH program since the IAs also play a major role in the rice self sufficiency and food security target in our country.
“Ang irigasyon ay nasa puso ng agrikultura,” he said as he acknowledged the importance of NIA’s mandate in the New Normal situation to ensure irrigation in the continuity of farming.
According to him, NIA has to ensure that irrigation facilities would be prioritized by our government—priority for food security to finally bid goodbye to poverty and hunger. “Today’s groundbreaking while in quarantine is our declaration that our work continues, and that it continues with greater sear to overcome and prove that Covid-19 did not get the better of us.”
The BSRIP has an overall project cost of P1.34 billion with a service area of 840 hectares. The project will utilize the water resources from Balbalungao River through the construction of a 27-meter high embankment dam, canal network and appurtenant structures, and the rehabilitated existing diversion dam of the San Isidro Communal Irrigation System, envisioned to eventually function as a regulator dam.
NIA said 562 farmers and their families from the five barangays namely Balbalungao, San Isidro, Sto. Niño, Salvacion and Mapampang would benefit from the project.
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