Farmers demand IRR for free irrigation law

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Farmers are demanding the issuance of rules and regulations to implement the Free Irrigation Services Act which lapsed into law.

“The Free Irrigation Services Act lapsed into law without President Duterte’s signature last Jan. 19, and we now ask the DA and its attached agency National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to present the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the Free Irrigation Services Act,” the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said in a statement.

Under the law, a bill ratified by Congress automatically becomes a law when the president does not sign or veto it within 30 days of receipt.

In the meantime, NIA has continued to collect irrigation fees from farmers, KMP said.

“We are raising important issues before Agriculture Sec. Manny Piñol. Ever since he became agriculture chief, he refused to face KMP member-farmers seeking dialogues. We want him to address our demands,” KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos said.

KMP secretary general Antonio Flores said “providing free irrigation is a backlog of the Duterte administration. Now that free irrigation is finally a law, we want it dutifully and fairly implemented so that farmers can benefit from the free irrigation service.”

“Our feedback is that NIA has continued to collect operation and maintenance fees from farmers. We want this clarified because the cost of operation and maintenance could be even bigger than the actual fees for irrigation of farms.

“NIA has a budget of over P40 billion for this fiscal year that can easily cover or subsidize the cost,” Antonio said.

For his part, Flores a “a genuine free irrigation would liberate farmers from one layer of burden which is the high cost of irrigation fees.”

The KMP also cited the heavy impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).

“TRAIN will have an impact on the production cost due to the non-stop increase in oil prices,” Ramos said.

“The increase in cost of living and production will take a toll on the livelihood of farmers. Rice and food prices have increased in the past week,” he added.