By John Rey Saavedra/PNA
CEBU CITY — At least 866 irrigation projects in Central Visayas will be funded with a total of PHP9 billion for a period of three years starting 2020, according to an investment program of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-7) approved by the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) Full Council.
RDC-7 presiding officer Kenneth Cobonpue said the amount of the irrigation projects in the region has been recommended for approval by the RDC-7 Infrastructure Development Committee during its meeting last Dec. 12 at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7).
Leni Capuno of NIA regional office presented to the committee the different irrigation projects in Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
Records showed that of the 866 projects, Cebu would get the highest number with a total of 462 and the most number for the repair and rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems.
Bohol has the second highest number of projects from the agency with a total of 259, followed by Negros Oriental with 114, while Siquijor gets 31.
Bulk of the PHP9-billion will fund 28 small reservoir irrigation projects (SRIP) with a total of PHP6 billion, based on the approved RDC-7 Central Visayas Development Investment Program 2020-2022.
Bohol will receive 18 out of the 28 SRIPs, while nine will go to Negros Oriental. Only one small reservoir irrigation project in Cebu, which shall be built in Barangay Can-asujan, Carcar City, will be implemented in 2020.
NIA-7 will also roll out 163 small irrigation projects (SIPs) in the four provinces in Central Visayas.
Bohol will have 93 out of 163 small irrigation systems, while Cebu will get 35, Negros Oriental will have 30, and five projects will be in Siquijor.
Of the 241 repair and rehabilitation activities of NIA-7 for the period of three years starting 2020, Cebu will get the biggest pie with a total of 161, with 32 in Bohol, 28 in Negros Oriental, and 20 in Siquijor.
Four restoration activities will be implemented in Negros Oriental, Cebu, and Siquijor.
Only Bohol will get a total of PHP40-million budget for the improvement of 10 service roads leading to the irrigation systems in seven municipalities.
Cebu will also have an allocation of PHP87.76 million worth of ground water pump irrigation project in different towns and cities in the province.
Another PHP42 million will be earmarked for the repair of 10 groundwater pump irrigation systems in Cebu City, and 21 in different cities and municipalities of the province.
There will be 18 irrigation projects that will be implemented under the comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) in five areas in Negros Oriental and 10 areas in Bohol.
Two CARP-related projects will be in Siquijor and one in Cebu.
The record further showed that 16 climate change adaptation works will be implemented in eight different local government units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental.
During the committee meeting of the IDC, NEDA-7 Regional Director Efren Carreon recommended to NIA-7 personnel who were present during the presentation of irrigations projects in the Visayas to conduct feasibility studies on the different NIA-funded projects in the region.
