NIA unveils projects worth P4.48-B

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) inaugurated last week three projects that have a combined cost of P4.48 billion.

One of the projects unveiled was the P1.276-billion Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Balbalungao SRIP) in Lupao, Nueva Ecija.

“In pursuit of innovations and modernizations in irrigation facilities, Balbalungao SRIP was constructed to irrigate 967.19 hectares of agricultural land in the barangays of San Isidro, Balbalungao, Salvacion, and Mapangpang in the Municipalty of Lupao,” NIA report reads.

Around 560 local farmers and their families will be benefitting from his irrigation. Project that will also provide the province with hydroelectric power and other benefits such as in aquaculture, tourism, and watershed management.

The second project inaugurated was the Bayabas SRIP in the town of DRT, Bulacan amounting to P2.435 billion.

This water project is expected to irrigate 27,978 hectares of farmland, encompassing 17 municipalities in Bulacan and four towns in Pampanga. Around 20,016 farmers are expected to benefit from this project.

Meanwhile, some 141 units of wheeled excavators worth P776 million will distributed to NIA field offices in Zambales.

NIA said the equipment is part of the first tranche of its Three-Year Re-Fleeting Program for the calendar year 2023-2025, aimed at ensuring efficient and proper use and maintenance of irrigation systems across the country.

NIA added, “with the conduct of these events, NIA hopes to fast-track irrigation development, not just to alleviate poverty in rural communities, but also to create a huge impact in the irrigation sector”.