For Samar Island, a deluge of irrigation projects this year
In this year of the Water Dragon, expect more irrigation water for rice fields in Eastern Visayas, according to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
The agency has allocated P2.6 billion for the construction and development of irrigation facilities in Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran in 2012—almost twice the amount of last year’s allocation of P1.4 billion.
With the bigger budget, the NIA is targeting to bring water to about 5,000 hectares of new areas, 6,000 ha of rehabilitation areas, and 2,000 ha of restoration areas, said its regional manager, Romeo Quiza.
Most of the big irrigation projects will be implemented on Samar Island, the country’s third-largest island, which has fewer irrigated areas compared to Leyte Island.
Only 20 percent of Samar’s potential irrigable area is supplied with water. In contrast, the coverage in Leyte is about 80 percent.
An irrigation project is twice costlier in Samar than in Leyte, where shallow rivers are tapped as sources. Quality sand and gravel are not available in Samar and must be hauled from nearby Leyte.
Irrigation dams in Samar are usually built at least 15 kilometers upstream, thus requiring longer canals from the sources to the farms.
“Because the rivers (in Samar) are navigable and deep, there is salt intrusion into the river and we cannot use salty water for irrigation,” Quiza explained.
Because of these reasons, Samar has a bigger budget this year—P1.6 billion of the P2.6-billion budget.
The big irrigation projects on the island include those in Calbiga, Basey and Sta. Rita towns in Samar, and in Catarman, Las Navas and Catubig towns in Northern Samar.
Quiza said at least P170 million was set aside for Calbiga, a fourth-class municipality (annual income: P25 million-P35 million) with population of 20,000, which would bring water to about 900 ha of the town’s 6,000-ha rice area, benefiting at least 550 farmers.
Amadeo Montejo of the NIA said the water would come from the rapids upstream of the Calbiga River, one of the 25 major rivers on Samar Island.
The project was first proposed more than 10 years ago. Its implementation was delayed due to lack of funds and bad weather.
Mayor Melchor Nacario said the irrigation system was “something that he had long been pushing for.” For the first time, it would bring water to rice farms in his town, he said. The irrigated area could later be expanded to nearby towns like San Sebastian, Pinabacdao and Villareal, he added.
The project would include the construction of a 17-km main canal, 5 km of lateral canals, and a 2-m high and 60-m long concrete dam.
Meantime, the irrigation canals in Basey town would be completed this year or early next year with the release of P100 million as the last tranche of the P1.35-billion project, Quiza said.
The project will bring water from the Bugasan River in Barangay (village) Mabini to about 3,000 ha of rice lands. It involves the construction of a dam and a 24-km canal.
Also included for funding this year is the ongoing project in Sta. Rita. At least P100 million has been allocated for the project.
But the biggest funding of an additional P209 million is for the irrigation component of the Help Catubig Agricultural Program in Catubig and Las Navas.
The project was delayed mainly due to the contractor’s failure to meet the work deadline.
Conceived and proposed in 1990, the project was started in 2002 with components of irrigation and drainage, rural infrastructure improvement, schistosomiasis control, agricultural support services and institutional development.
It was expected to irrigate
5,550 ha of land and benefit more than 1,600 farming families. At least 600 ha of rice farms in the area are now irrigated.
Also in Northern Samar, the NIA has appropriated P100 million for a new project in Bantayan, San Roque.
In Leyte, the NIA will undertake several restoration projects and new ones, including those in Villaba town.
The P1.2-billion Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project will involve the construction of an earth-filled dam and irrigate 2,800 ha of rice lands in Villaba, Matagob and Matalom.
This year, the NIA has appropriated P100 million for the project in addition to an unspent allocation of a similar amount last year, Quiza said.
With the new irrigation projects, coupled with the rehabilitation of existing facilities, rice production in Eastern Visayas is expected to go up.
