BUTUAN CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently turned over water irrigation facilities to 869 farmers in Agusan del   Norte.

The P158 million  project was funded under the 2023 Calamity Repair and Restoration Fund.

The project includes the construction of dam protection works, and canals to provide better and stable water supply to farmlands.

The Cuyago Irrigators Association is one of the irrigation associations that will benefit from the project. Its members maintain a 115-hectare of farmland planted to rice, corn and other crops.

“Dako kaayo ug tabang sa amo nga mga farmers ang proyekto nga gihatag sa NIA, segurado na nga adunay supply sa tubig ang among mga umahan ug pwede na pod mi magdungan ug pananum kay naa naman mi sakto nga supply sa tubig (The project provided by NIA is a great help to us, farmers. It ensured a stable water supply for our fields. We can now have more opportunities to plant rice and other crops since we have adequate water supply in the area),” said Nicolas Lincuna, president of the Cuyago Irrigators Association of Barangay Cuyago in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.

According to Lincuna, “daku na kaayo ug kabag-uhan sa irrigation system (The irrigation system underwent significant improvements).” 

“Before, water supply from the irrigation system could only accommodate limited hectares of our farmlands, so we needed to schedule our farming activities, but now our entire rice farm already has sufficient water supply, and simultaneous planting of crops is possible,” he recalled.

“The water irrigation system is also free; we only collect operation maintenance fees from the members during every cropping, and our rice yield has significantly increased, which has benefited the farmers tremendously,” Lincuna added.

Dexter A. Sablaon, division manager of NIA Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands Irrigation Management Office (ASDI-IMO), said, “The irrigation projects recently turned over will contribute to agricultural success as water irrigation supply is a vital component for agricultural output and plays a significant part in ensuring food security in the province and the whole country.”

“During the ceremonial turnover, NIA and IAs signed a project completion agreement. As mutually accepted by both parties, the recipient IAs will take full responsibility for overseeing the aforementioned projects in close collaboration with NIA to ensure the longevity of the facility to benefit future generations,” Sabalon emphasized. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)