Capitol bats for more irrigation
LINGAYEN– Pangasinan tells national gov’t: Thank you for the awards, but give us Agno irrigation.
This was the appeal of Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard Baraan, after receiving another batch of awards for the provincial government’s performance.
“There is more potential that we have not really tapped yet, especially when it comes to irrigation,” remarked Baraan reiterating the provincial government’s call to the national government to prioritize the completion of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP).
He said Pangasinan, currently the third top rice producing province, can do better if the irrigation system is improved and expanded.
Baraan, speaking last April 7 after the presentation of awards from the Department of Agriculture and Regional Development Council (RDC), said if the national government is serious with its goal of making the country self-sufficient or even a rice importer, it should prioritize the extension of irrigation in Pangasinan.
Pangasinan was recently given a National Rice Achiever’s Award for being one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country
FUNDING
In a previous report, Engr. Reynaldo C. Mencias, project manager of the P11.2-billion ARIIP, disclosed that the release of the money was put on hold in July 2013 after the technical panel of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) called for a reconfiguration of the project’s implementation.
“We are trying to get it (project fund) back,” said Baraan.
NEDA recently recommended the renaming of ARIIP to Agno River Irrigation System Extension Project.
Baraan pointed out that once the Agno irrigation expansion gets done, it will serve 12,000 hectares including farmlands in Rosales, Alcala, Sto. Tomas and Bautista, and farms in San Nicolas, Tayug, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Sta. Maria and Balungao serviced by the Ambayoan-Dipalo Irrigation System.
Other awards earned by the province are Best Project Implementer in Poverty Reduction and the Cleanest, Greenest, Most Peaceful Province in Region 1.–Johanne R. Macob
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