PIKIT, Cotabato Province (PIA) — Government interventions for farmer beneficiaries of the P5.133 billion Malitubog-Maridagao Project (MMIP) Stage II, which was inaugurated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., won’t end with the provision of water to irrigate farms in its service area, an official of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) assured.
“Ang trabaho ng NIA ay hindi nagtatapos dito [NIA’s job does not end here],” Administrator Eduardo Guillen said during the inauguration of MMIP Stage II on April 29.
“Sisiguraduhin natin na pagkatapos ng construction, matitiyak ang produksyon at kita ng mga magsasaka,” he assured.
(We guarantee increased production and income for the farmers after the project’s construction.)
The irrigation project, located in Barangay Bagoinged in the Municipality of Pikit, benefits 4,043 farmers, including Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants who have undergone decommissioning.
Bagoinged is part of the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The MMIP II project diverts irrigation water from the Maridagao River, utilizing the facilities of MMIP Stage I to irrigate at least 9,528 hectares in the municipalities of Aleosan and Pikit in Cotabato Province, Region 12, and Montawal and Pagalungan in Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM.
The project consists of 59.09 kilometers of main canal, 87.003 kilometers of lateral canals, and 823 structures.
It also has 149.094 kilometers of service and access roads, as well as dikes that serve as flood control structures.
Speaking to over 2,000 farmers during the event, Guillen announced that NIA will implement contract farming with farmer groups in the MMIP service areas to ensure increased palay production and greater income for the farmers.
“Actually, marami pong nagbago galing po kami sa struggle. Nang dumating ito nakapag-aral ang mga anak namin, maganda na ‘yong pamumuhay namin. Malaki talaga ang pagbabago kay kung hindi nagbago ito, hindi tayo makapunta dito kasi warzone dito kaya nagpapasalamat kami dahil sa proyektong ito parang nawala lahat ng marahas na pangyayari,” said Zainal Asem, a former MILF combatant and vice president of the Takepan Muslim Christian Irrigators Association.
(We have changed a lot since the struggle. When the project started, our children were able to go to school, and we were living a good life. It’s truly a significant change, as without it, we wouldn’t have been able to come to this area due to its status as a warzone. So we are very grateful.)
The farmers who will benefit from MMIP Stage II will get P17 million in benefits from the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Pangkabuyahan sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
They will also get P135.96 million in “consolidated interventions” from the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies.
Guillen said that the DA’s interventions include farm machinery, certified seeds, corn seeds, fertilizer discount cards, pump irrigation systems, goat modules, and farm-to-market roads.
“Naniniwala po ako na kapag tinulungan po natin ang ating mga magsasaka dito tataas ang kanilang produksyon at kita. Kita niyo naman ang mga naunang projects natin na irrigation, meron nang pag-asenso sa buhay ng ating mga magsasaka. Kasunod na diyan ‘yung peace and order. ’Yon po ang pangarap ng ating Pangulo at ‘yon po ang ating ginagawa ngayon. Kaya asahan mo ng mga farmers dito ang todong suporta ng gobyerno natin sa kanila,” the official said.
(I believe that if we help our farmers here, their production and income will increase. Our previous irrigation projects have shown that our farmers’ lives have improved. After that, there is peace and order. That was our president’s dream, and that is what we are doing now. So, the farmers here can expect full government support.)
Originally scheduled for completion in 2015, the MMIP Stage II project took until December 2023 to complete.
The NIA noted that problems with road right-of-way, flooding, and local peace and order prevented the construction from finishing on schedule. (DED – PIA Region 12)
