Iloilo map | INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez on Thursday said the House of Representatives would provide the funds for the completion of Jalaur River multi-purpose dam in Iloilo.
Romualdez made the pronouncement after meeting with officials of the National Irrigation Administration officials in Iloilo city, also attended by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and other House officials.
READ: Iloilo reservoir to boost rice output
According to Romualdez, the completion of the dam would provide irrigation water to farmers, especially with Iloilo as one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country.
“We will make sure that this irrigation system is completed as part of the program of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to see to it that there is food, at least the basic staple rice, on every Filipino household’s table,” he said in a statement.
“We will help our farmers with other inputs as well, like seeds, fertilizer, farm equipment. We will also assist them in marketing their produce by building farm-to-market roads,” he added..
The speaker also noted that the current El Niño also renders the completion of such irrigation systems much more crucial.
Dam 74.31% completed
Meanwhile, according to Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II information officer Flordalie Padillo, the project is already 74.31 percent complete as of March 2024.
“Tapos na po ang konstrukyon ng tatlong dams ng proyekto kabilang ang 109 meters Jalaur High Dam na magsisilbing impounding dam,” she said in the same statement.
(The construction of three dams for the project, including the 109-meter Jalaur High Dam which will serve as the impounding dam, has been completed.)
READ: Drilon: Jalaur mega dam completion pivotal to address PH food security
“As of now, construction activities are focused on the irrigation component of the project including the 80 kilometers High Line Canal covering 9 municipalities in the Province of Iloilo,” she added.
Padillo said the dam is expected to generate 6.6 megawatts hydroelectric power, supply 86 million liters of bulk water for Iloilo City and nearby areas, open opportunities for eco-tourism, and help reduce flooding.
A total of 25,000 farmers and 4,500 indigenous families are also estimated to benefit from the multipurpose dam project.
By early 2026, the dam is also expected to accommodate other livelihood projects such as inland fishery, eco-cultural tourism, and additional renewable energy through a floating solar power farm.