The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper
New irrigation project to benefit Bukidnon town
BUKIDNON - The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has inaugurated the P1.054 billion Talakag Irrigation Project which will provide irrigation to eight villages in the town.
NIA Administrator Engr. Eduardo Eddie Guillen, who led the recent inauguration, said the project will benefit the villages of Cosina, Cacaon, simultaneous lifting of Executive Order (EO) No. 39, imposing the mandated price ceilings on regular and well-milled rice in the market.
However during the meeting, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Agriculture officials namely Undersecretaries Leocadio Sebastian and Mercedita Sombilla agreed that it was not the right lower tariff rates because of the downtrend of rice prices in the world market.
Under EO 39, which took effect on September 5, the mandated price ceiling on regular rice is at P41.00 per kilogram while the mandated price cap on well-milled rice is at P45.00 per kilogram. But the rice cap (EO 39) is not being followed by rice retailers who continue to
Dagumbaan, Santo Niño, Lingi-on, San Antonio, Barangay 5, and San Isidro. "The project's design aims to cover approximately 2,700 hectares of land, encompassing both rice fields and high-value crop areas," he said.
Guillen also asked NIA-10 Acting Regional Manager Engr. Larry Franada to search for sell the grains as much as P60 a kilo.
Asked if the government will lift the implementation of EO 39, Marcos said it will remain in effect as they have to study the matter carefully. “Pagaralan natin mabuti,” he said.
The government has imposed the Rice Tariffication Act which amends the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 (RA 8178). The law replaces the system of quantitative restriction on rice importation with a purely tariff system. But the effects of rice tariffication on household welfare occur through prices. The reform leads to lower domestic rice prices, resulting in reduced income for rice farmers but increased purchasing power for rice consumers. (Mindanao Examiner) more areas in Bukidnon to be developed through a proposal of irrigation projects. With the future irrigation facilities to be constructed, the agency aims to add to the food sources of the country, he said.
“Umaasa kami na ang Mindanao, ito po ay magde-deliver o tutulong talaga sa pagbibigay ng food security sa ating bansa,” he said.
Currently, the Talakag Irrigation Project has an operational area of 1,108 hectares, which comprises 50 hectares of rice land and 1,058 hectares of annual crops with 599 beneficiaries from three irrigation associations namely Cabalangasan Irrigators Association, Santo. Dacoca Irrigators Association, and San Isidro Federation of Irrigators Association. (Jan Albert Araña)