SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) MIMAROPA highlighted the impact of the convergence program with different government agencies in extending services to farmers.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas of the Philippine Information Agency, Engr. Ronilio M. Cervantes, Regional Manager of NIA MIMAROPA, said that their office spearheaded the partnership with different government agencies to provide more interventions to farmers across the region.
“Sa kasalukuyang taon po, ang NIA ay may 10 proyekto mula sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) na nakalaan para sa pagko-kongkreto ng service roads, pagsasagawa ng protection works, at flood control projects,” Cervantes said.
(This year, NIA has 10 projects from DPWH allocated for the concretion of service roads, protection works, and flood control projects.)
These projects, totaling more than P204 million, aim to protect service areas whenever there is excessive flooding. He said six out of 10 of these projects have already been completed.
NIA also teamed up with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide social services to members of Irrigation Associations.
Around P6.12 million worth of aid from DSWD was extended to farmers in the region from programs such as Cash for Work, Food Packs, and Convergence budgeting, Cervantes added.
To boost farmers’ yield, the NIA paired up with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide farm inputs such as seeds worth P11.2 million, fertilizers, and machinery wherein 14,200 farmers in the region benefited from this partnership, the Cervantes said.
Also, the administration’s partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform paved the way for free training for farmers and opportunities for employment under the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD Program. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)
