House execs lead launch of solar irrigation project in Central Luzon

Central Luzon. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Key officials of the House of Representatives oversaw another solar-powered pump irrigation project (SPIP), this time in Central Luzon, in a bid to assist farmers’ water needs for previously rain-dependent farmlands.

During a program on Thursday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss, and National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Guillen went to Arayat town in Pampanga to distribute the SPIP for 15 hectares of farmlands.

Aside from the SPIP in Pampanga, Romualdez’ office said additional projects were launched in other parts of Central Luzon — seven systems in Nueva Ecija, 10 in Zambales, and one each for Bulacan and Bataan, and two irrigation augmentation projects in Tarlac.

The systems will feature typhoon-rated photovoltaic panels and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven moisture sensors from Israel’s LR Group, which is expected to significantly reduce costs while increasing yields.

“This is the future of agriculture, assisted by AI to enhance productivity.  Early adopters […] report yield gains above 25 percent,” Romualdez noted.

The Speaker previously said that having the SPIP will benefit farmers as they would no longer spend huge amounts of money just to buy fuel so that diesel-powered irrigators can operate

READ: House to continue backing cleaner, cheaper solar irrigation — Romualdez 

Two veteran farmers from Arayat meanwhile attested that they will no longer spend around P30,000 for diesel just to irrigate farmlands.  According to Gilberto Guina, 75, he has been spending around ₱30,000 for diesel during each cropping season, noting that this money will now be redirected to his family’s needs and farm improvements.

“Because of solar irrigation, we no longer worry about the price of diesel fuel.  What was used to buy diesel fuel goes to other needs, for our families and for farmlands.  It is really a big help,” Guina said in Filipino.

Maunlad na Candating–Sapang Paitan Farmers’ Irrigators Association President Rey Velasco also said that because the farmlands are rain-dependent, there were instances that farmers had to haul water uphill with hoses.

“Before, we were just relying on rain.  We’re only happy when it rains.  Water is hard to come by because we live on an elevated area, we need to ask help from various areas with irrigation,” he said in Filipino.

Romualdez said the advancements can be attributed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push for food security through solar irrigation, as the project aims to cover 180,000 hectares nationwide and eventually boost annual rice production by 1.2 million metric tons.

“President Marcos, thank you for your support to our farmers and for having the belief that Filipinos can stand side-by-side with the best technological advances in the worldo,” Romualdez said in Filipino.

“With the help of solar solar irrigation and smart farming, we can bring back the strength of rice production and reach our goal of being a rice exporter,” he added in Filipino. /jpv