KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) — At least P20.7 billion worth of irrigation projects will soon be constructed in Soccsksargen, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), according to Diosdado Rosales, manager of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Region 12.
Rosales referred to these projects as the P15.497 billion Maridagaao River Irrigation System Improvement Project, the P1.8 billion Ambal River Irrigation Project, the P2.43 billion Tulunan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, and the P1 billion Antong Irrigation System Project.
These irrigation projects came barely two months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially opened the P5.13 billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (MMIP) Stage II in Pikit, Cotabato Province, on April 28.
He stated that the Maridagao River Irrigation System Improvement Project (MRISIP) should begin construction this year.
A major feature of the P15.497 billion MRISIP, according to information from NIA XII, is the construction of a 52-kilometer road dike along the Pulangi River.
This road dike, Rosales said, addresses recurring issues of flooding whenever the Pulangi River overflows and will mean drying at least 4,500 hectares of perennially submerged areas to become fertile land for agricultural production.
The MRISIP, the region’s first of its kind, will feature solar-powered pumps along the road dike.
“Solar pumps will be installed on the dike to pump out water from the flooded areas during heavy rains. During dry seasons, when water is insufficient, the solar pumps will be used to irrigate the enclosed farms,” Rosales explained.
The MRISIP is a peace project that will help 2,600 farmers in Pikit, Cotabato, particularly barangays Inug-ug, Talitay, and Paidu Pulangi. It will also assist farmers in Macasendeg, Radja Muda, Barungis, and Kabasalan, all of which are in the same municipality under the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Another project in the offing is the Ambal River Irrigation Project (Ambal RIP) in Maguindanao del Norte, with an allocation of P1.8 billion.
Rosales disclosed that the NIA and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) collaborated on the project, which is estimated to irrigate at least 2,029 hectares in the municipalities of Barira and Buldon, Maguindanao del Norte.
Once completed, this irrigation project will benefit decommissioned combatants.
Meanwhile, Rosales also announced that, for the first time, Soccsksargen Region will have its reservoir dam in Tulunan, Cotabato Province.
He stated that the winning bidder has received a notice to proceed, and construction on the Tulunan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Tulunan SRIP) could start soon.
The 2.43 billion project will irrigate five Tulunan barangays, namely: Maybula, Kanibong, Damawato, Bual, and Minapan, as well as parts of the adjacent municipalities of Columbio in Sultan Kudarat Province and Datu Paglas in Maguindanao del Sur.
On Feb. 25, during the 12th leg of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, NIA, and Sultan Kudarat provincial government officials, as well as House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, launched the Antong Irrigation System Project.
This project, with a budget of P1 billion, will provide irrigation to 1,563 hectares of farmland in the Municipality of Lutayan, in Sultan Kudarat.
Rosales said that additional irrigation projects may be carried out once funding is available, including the Lebak Integrated River Irrigation Project in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat, and the Upi Irrigation Project in Upi, Maguindanao del Norte.
Apart from the aforementioned, NIA is also intent on implementing solar pump projects.
“More solar irrigation projects will be forthcoming. We have already identified P3 billion worth of solar pump projects within the region. Once funded, these projects will enhance agricultural productivity,” he pointed out.
The advantage of solar irrigation pumps, he explained, is that they are easily installed and immediately useful to farmers. Unlike the traditional irrigation system, which relies on gravity to deliver water, solar irrigation pumps can irrigate elevated areas and even plateaus, he further explained.
“Aside from these, NIA is also focused on the construction of new communal irrigation systems, the rehabilitation and repair of existing communal and irrigation systems, and road improvement projects,” the official added. (DED – PIA Region 12)
