P100-M irrigation projects to serve 39 towns
LINGAYEN—Thirty-nine towns are set to receive small irrigation systems in the next 60 days.
Thus was disclosed by Governor Amado Espino Jr., during the meeting with 60 OPAG technical personnel, during the Institutional Development Officers (IDOs) Meeting of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) last Sep 24.
He said the irrigation projects include repair and rehabilitation of 32 communal irrigation systems worth P56.282 million and installation of P183 units of shallow tube well irrigation projects worth P43.718 million.
The communal irrigation systems repair jobs will provide irrigation to a total of 4,977 hectares of farmlands in 20 towns.
This will benefit some 4,509 farmers of the 32 associations in Infanta, Sual, Mangatarem, San Carlos City, Bayambang, Sta. Barbara, Manaoag, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Sison, Pozorrubio, Urdaneta City, San Manuel, Asingan, Umingan, Tayug, Balungao, San Nicolas, Natividad, and San Quintin.
Meanwhile, the 183 units of shallow tube well will be distributed in Agno, Burgos, Sual, Dasol, Alaminos City, Bolinao, Bani, Bugallon, Aguilar, Basista, Urbiztondo, Malasiqui, San Carlos City, Bayambang, Mangaldan, Manaoag, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Sto. Tomas, Pozorrubio, Sison, Bautista, Villasis, Alcala, Binalonan, Laoac, Sta. Maria, San Quintin, Umingan, San Nicolas, and Tayug.
Espino said the irrigation projects will be managed and maintained by the farmers’ associations.
The budget for the project will be sourced from the P758 million loan of the provincial government from the Land Bank of the Philippines.
“In the next 30 or 50 years, we will remain as an agricultural province,” Mr. Espino said, even as he lamented that irrigation systems in Pangasinan are still insufficient.
Previously, Oftociano Manalo, president of the Pangasinan and Region 1 irrigators associations, said the P2.6-billion fund for the second phase of the re-regulating pond of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP), has not been released.
Provincial agriculturist, Dalisay Moya, said the irrigation projects are timely given PAGASA’s forecast that El Niño will start this October until March next year.
At least P186-million worth of agriculture-related projects are allocated by the provincial government this year, said Moya. (Johanne Macob)
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