Pangilinan: Only 37 of 257 nat’l irrigation systems fully operational

MANILA, Philippines — Only 37 of the country’s 257 national irrigation systems are fully operational. 

At the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the proposed 2026 budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), it was discovered by senators that not even half of the country’s 257 national irrigation systems are fully functioning. 

It was Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson who inquired how many of the existing irrigation systems are fully operational and being utilized at present. 

READ: Solar-irrigation-boosts-bicols-rice-production-revives-idle-farmlands

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, sponsor of the NIA’s budget, spoke on behalf of the agency and answered that only 37 are functioning at 100 percent. 

“Of the 257 national systems, 37 are fully operational whether dry season or wet season, they are able to irrigate 100 percent of their irrigated areas,” said Pangilinan. 

According to Pangilinan, he had also requested that NIA submit a list of remaining systems that are not fully operational. 

“What percentage of their irrigated areas are operational? Therefore, is it 80 percent fully operational? 40 percent? We will also submit that data,” said Pangilinan. 

National irrigation systems are large-scale irrigation projects that are owned, operated, and maintained by the NIA. These are built to support agricultural productivity across major farming areas.

Pangilinan said the 257 national irrigation systems cover at least 1.03 million hectares, adding that these differ from communal irrigation systems, which are operated by irrigators’ associations. /mr