NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur (PIA)– The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is expediting the rehabilitation of water-impounding systems across the Bicol region to cushion the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on farming.
NIA Regional Director Gaudencio Dennis de Vera said the regional office has acquired new eight soil excavators that would be used by irrigators’ associations to enhance irrigation canals, reservoirs, rivers and other communal irrigation systems in the six provinces of Bicol.
De Vera added that the excavating machines will be handed over to irrigators associations in Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon, “as soon as possible.”
“As soon as possible, inaasahan na lahat malinis na (We expect all irrigation systems to be properly cleaned),” De Vera said.
In its latest seasonal forecast, the Department of Science and Technology revealed that most of the provinces in the Philippines may experience drought by May 2024 due to the effects of a strong El Niño—with Secretary Renato Solidum noting that the phenomenon’s effects are already felt in some parts of the country.
Solidum said droughts can last for months or even years, and they often result in a deficiency of water resources, such as groundwater, rivers, and lakes.
According to De Vera, farmers have been facing difficulties in unclogging the irrigation canals and rivers due to the lack of equipment.
They have complained about the challenges they face in clearing the clogs without proper tools, De Vera said.
“That is why, ito po ang tulong ng NIA para sa kanila (The NIA supplied them with these excavators),” he said.
The largest component of Bicol’s economy is agriculture. In 2021, the region reported palay production of 1.35 million metric tons (MT), while corn output came in at 292,748 MT, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. (PIA5/Camarines Sur)
