NIA gets extension for Balog-balog Dam construction in Tarlac
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines–The construction of the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Project Phase 2 (BBMP2) in Tarlac, supposed to be finished in 2018, has been extended up to 2022 because of delays.
The Regional Development Council (RDC) Investment Coordination Committee in Central Luzon approved the request of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for an extension, according to Leon Dacanay Jr., RDC vice chair and regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority.
The approval was contained in a resolution passed during a regular meeting in Iba, Zambales last week, Dacanay said.
New civil works were added to reach upland areas in San Jose town, he added. NIA reported physical and financial accomplishments of the project at 25.71 and 31.70 percent, respectively.
Dacanay said NIA cited bad weather conditions, resettlement problems and right-of-way issues as causes of delays. The P13.37-billion project is designed to irrigate 34,500 hectares and increase cropping seasons to two for 23,000 farmers in Tarlac. Rice yields are seen to increase from 3.1 metric tons to 5.2 MT per hectare under irrigated conditions. Tonette Orejas
