Marcos pushes climate-smart farming as Bohol irrigation project opens

MABINI, Bohol — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday reiterated the government’s push for science-based agriculture and climate-resilient farming technologies to strengthen food security and rural economic growth amid the looming threat of El Niño later this year.

Speaking during the inauguration of the P833.37-million Mabini-Cayacay Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Barangay Abaca, Mabini town, Bohol, Marcos noted the need to prepare the agriculture sector for the effects of prolonged dry spells through innovative and technology-driven approaches.

“Because of the threat of El Niño, we have advised some farmers to plant high-value commercial crops such as watermelon, ginger, yam, peanuts, and eggplant instead of rice, which requires a large amount of water,” Marcos said in Filipino. 

READ: Marcos shows drought measures ahead of severe El Niño threat

He added that the government has been promoting climate-adaptive farming methods, including the use of solar-powered irrigation pumps and water reuse and recycling systems in drought-prone areas.

“We have promoted modern farming methods suited to the climate, such as the use of solar pumps and water reuse and recycling systems in areas frequently affected by drought,” he said.

READ: Bohol youth urged to take interest in farming

Marcos said the Mabini-Cayacay SRIP is expected to increase farm productivity, raise farmers’ incomes, and enhance the agricultural sector’s resilience against climate variability and extended dry periods.

A total of 717 farmers in the municipalities of Mabini and Alicia are expected to benefit from the project through a more reliable irrigation water supply, improved crop production, and better livelihood opportunities.

Implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) under the leadership of Administrator Engr. Eddie Guillen, the project will provide year-round irrigation water to 530 hectares of agricultural land. 

The service area covers the barangays of Abaca, San Roque, Aguipo, and Cabidian in Mabini, as well as Barangay Cayacay in Alicia.

The irrigation facility features a 32.20-meter-high and 210-meter-long dam, an ungated spillway, and an 11.31-kilometer main canal designed to efficiently deliver water to farmlands.

Drawing water from the Baujanan and Cawasan creeks, the project is expected to increase cropping intensity, improve farm yields, and strengthen agricultural production in eastern Bohol.

The Mabini-Cayacay SRIP forms part of the Marcos administration’s broader efforts to modernize Philippine agriculture, expand irrigation services, and achieve long-term food security under the vision of a “Bagong Pilipinas.”

In his remarks, NIA Administrator Guillen stressed that the project is more than an irrigation facility.

“This can also be used for aquaculture, power generation, and tourism development, while serving as a sustainable flood control project,” Guillen said.

He described the project as a long-term investment in the future of Boholano farmers and their families.

The inauguration coincided with the 63rd founding anniversary of the National Irrigation Administration.

Present during the dam’s opening were NIA Region VII Regional Manager Engr. Eusebio Villamanto, representatives from national government agencies, local government officials, officers of irrigators’ associations, and farmer-beneficiaries.

As irrigation water begins to flow across the service area, the project is expected to boost agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and contribute to the country’s food security goals.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado noted that the project, first conceptualized in 2009, has finally become a reality after years of planning and development.

“Beyond nourishing our fields and sustaining our harvests, the Mabini-Cayacay SRIP will open doors of opportunity, restore dignity in labor, and inspire hope for generations yet to come,” Aumentado said.

The governor also highlighted Bohol’s improving socio-economic indicators, noting that the province’s poverty incidence among families has dropped significantly to 14.8 percent, from 47.3 percent in 2000.

“Behind these numbers are real stories of resilience, opportunity, and hope,” he said.

For many farmers, the completion of the irrigation project fulfills a long-standing dream.

Cipriana Valles, 40, a farmer from Barangay San Roque, Mabini, said residents had waited decades for a dependable irrigation source. Since childhood, she said, farming in their community had depended almost entirely on rainfall.

“We are thankful that the NIA dam has finally arrived. When we rely only on rain, we often cannot harvest enough crops,” Valles said in Cebuano.

The project is expected to transform farming conditions in the area, enabling farmers to cultivate crops more consistently throughout the year and reducing their vulnerability to drought./coa