ILOILO CITY (PIA) – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to lead the inauguration of the mega dams of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in Calinog, Iloilo on Tuesday, July 16, which is one of the 194 identified priority infrastructure projects under his “Build Better More” program.
It is noted that President Marcos Jr., who also heads the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board, previously granted additional funds to JRMP II through a loan restructuring worth P8.48 billion for its completion. This is on top of the project’s original budget of P11.2 billion.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA)-6, the lead implementing agency of the project, noted that the mega dams aim to usher inclusive rural developments in the region.
The project, once fully operational, will expand NIA’s irrigation service area by 9,500 hectares covering rain-fed agricultural lands in 17 towns from the first to fourth districts of Iloilo, benefitting around 7,000 farmers in the province.
The JRMP II is also set to augment irrigation water to five existing National Irrigation Systems (NIS) with a combined service area of 22,340 hectares and 18,000 farmer-beneficiaries.
The NIA-6 added that the mega dam project is expected to provide irrigation to 31,840 hectares of farmland in Iloilo; generate 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power, 86 million liters per day of bulk water supply for the province and city of Iloilo; generate eco-cultural tourism opportunities; and will mitigate flooding in Calinog and nearby towns once it is already operational by 2025.
It is also projected to expand the production areas of sugarcane and other crops, and will increase the annual production of rice in Iloilo to around 338, 874 metric tons, which is 71.54 percent higher from its current production of 197,545 MT.
The NIA-6 aslo stressed that the completion and operation of the project would boost economic opportunities in the region and provide food security to the public, which are just two of the priority agendas of the Marcos Jr. administration. (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)
