Ompong ruins P353-M irrigation facilities in Cordillera

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) - Cordillera reported more than P353 million worth of irrigation facilities, both in communal and national irrigation systems, were destroyed by Typhoon Ompong.

Benito Espique Jr., acting regional manager of NIA-Cordillera, said Abra had the most number of damaged facilities, worth P101.25 million, followed by Apayao at P69.9 million.

Kalinga lost P67.2million worth of irrigation facilities, Benguet with P53.1 million and Mountain Province with P41.5 million.

The Upper Chico River Irrigation System in Kalinga and the West Apayao Abulog Irrigation System in Apayao, both national irrigation systems, were also damaged, Espique said.

He added more than 15,000 farmers have been affected and close to a billion pesos worth of crops, mostly rice and corn, were also destroyed.

“It affected more than 13,000 hectares of irrigation areas,” Espique said.

He said the provincial irrigation managers all over the region have been instructed to prepare a program of work for the repair and restoration of the damaged facilities.

“The program of work is one of the requirements for the release of funds,” Espique explained.

The senior NIA official commended farmer-irrigators in the region for helping NIA officials in the immediate clearing of several irrigation facilities, which allowed water to flow to the farmlands.

Espique said that as of Sept. 30, a total of 65 irrigation projects, valued at P551 million, have so far been completed.

The irrigation projects generated more than 9,000 jobs during construction, he noted.

The completed projects, based on the source of funds, were the Establishment of Groundwater Pump Irrigation (EGPI), Balikatan Sagip Patubig Program (BSPP), and the Restoration/Repair/Rehabilitation of Existing Communal Irrigation System (RRRECIS), among others.

The agency has a total budget of P1.582 billion for 2018, covering 284 irrigation projects.