Two weeks after the Luzonwide lockdown due to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) created  a Task Force for the management of Covid-19 within its ranks. The intention of the Task Force is to immediately respond to the needed medical attention of NIA personnel, and ultimately to prevent, contain and mitigate  transmission of the virus within the NIA Central Office.

Diliman, Quezon City - NIA Administrator Ricardo R Visaya participated to the Task Group on Food and Water Security Meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), chaired by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar, on April 24, 2020 at DA - Central Office Conference Room.

**For questions and/or clarifications, you may contact:

EDEN VICTORIA C. SELVA
Officer-in-Charge
NIA Public Affairs and Information Staff
E-mail: evcselva2000@yahoo.com
Landline: (02) 8921-3741

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is now International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 Certified after being assessed by the Certification International Philippines, Inc. (CIPI) on February 10, 2020. The certification is valid until February 09, 2023. CIPI is the third-party ISO-accredited certifying body that audited NIA’s Quality Management System (QMS) for public administration of irrigation services on September 18 to December 17, 2019 and bestowed the registration certificate under the management of Administrator Ricardo R Visaya. The audit was conducted to determine the NIA’s compliance with the standards of ISO. The scope of registration focused on the major activities of the Agency, including Central Office, Regional Offices, and Irrigation Management Offices (IMOs). The activity is part of the Agency’s continual improvement in the delivery of its services as a government agency.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with hydropower developers on February 28, 2020 at the NIA Administrator’s Conference Room, 2^nd Floor, Building A.

The signing of three MOU between NIA, represented by Administrator Ricardo R Visaya, and Renewable Development for Sustainable Growth (RDSG) Corporation, represented by President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruben B. Sumagang, aims to pursue the development of three mini hydroelectric power plants on three areas: 1) Mal River Irrigation System (Mal RIS) Canal Stations +220m, + 203m, and +171 m located in Matanao, Davao Del Sur, 2) Andanan River Irrigation System (Andanan CIS) Canal located in Agusan Del Sur, and 3) Miral River Irrigation System (Miral RIS) Canal Stations +322m and +220m located in Bansalan, Davao Del Sur.

On the other hand, the MOU signing between NIA, represented by Administrator Visaya, and SunAsia Energy, Inc., represented by President Theresa Cruz-Capellan, aims to pursue the development of floating solar power project at the Pantabangan Reservoir located in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) conducted a thorough validation, investigation, and coordination meeting on February 17-20, 2020 at the NIA Cordillera Administrative Region – Benguet Satellite Office to address the issues that were recently raised against Nangalisan Communal Irrigation System (Nangalisan CIS) and restore the flow of irrigation water up to all the reservoir tanks irrigation system.

Located at Barangay Nangalisan, Municipality of Tuba, Benguet, Nangalisan CIS was implemented in two phases. The first phase was funded under the Repair, Rehabilitation, and Restoration of Existing Communal Irrigation Systems (RRRECIS) Fund 2017, while the second phase was under Extension and Expansion (EEECIS) Fund 2017, which were completed in March and July 2018, respectively.

The project was completed in July 2018 after test-run was conducted with the irrigation water reaching up to the ninth reservoir tank. However, when Typhoon Ompong ravaged the region in September 2018, portion of the mainline of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes were carried away by strong currents which made the system non-operational. Meanwhile, the contractor of the project made remedies by installing four smaller parallel pipelines at the source which restored flow of the irrigation water from the first to the eighth reservoir tank.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), represented by Administrator Ricardo R Visaya, and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), represented by Administrator Vicente B. Malano, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the installation and operation of Telemetered Rainfall and Water Level Gauging Station in the vicinity of NIA Bubunawan Irrigation Intake Facility located at Purok 8, Sitio Nangkaon, Barangay Salimbalan, Baungon, Bukidnon. The activity was held on February 26, 2020 at the NIA Administrator’s Conference Room, 2^nd Floor, Building A.

The MOA signing aims to install/operate the Station, construct access road, and install peripherals and perimeter fence in the vicinity to effectively monitor the hydrological condition of the Cagayan de Oro River Basin. There is a need to install automatic rainfall and water level gauging equipment and construct repeater/relay towers to enable the speedy transmission of hydrological data to the Cagayan de Oro River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (CDORBFFWC) and the Main Operation Center of the Hydrometeorology Division (HMD) as an advance information of the mainstream areas, as well as the response of the river system to the rainfall intensity. Thus, effectively carrying out flood forecasting and warning activities.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration Central Office (NIA-CO), in coordination with NIA Regional Office IV-A, conducted relief operations on January 23, 2020 for the victims of Taal Volcano eruption as part of the Agency’s Corporate Social Responsibility. It aims to initially support the immediate needs of the family-evacuees through the provision of their basic needs.

Moved by the spirit of being a Filipino and oneness of the Filipinos in emergency situations, the activity was organized by the NIA Top Management Officials headed by Administrator Ricardo R Visaya and NIA Employees’ Association of the Philippines (NIAEASP) for seven (7) evacuation sites located in the municipalities of Sta. Teresita and Calaca, Batangas, where about 1,011 family-evacuees are residents of the municipalities of Lemery, Taal, and Sta. Teresita.

The evacuation sites include Sampa Pacifico Elementary School with 141 families and 25 in-house families), Irukan Kalayaan Elementary School (95 families), Calantas Elementary School (105 families), Puting Bato Elementary School (117 families), Lumbang na Bata Elementary School (95 families), Puting Kahoy Elementary School (76 families), and Calaca Elementary School (357 families).

NIA employees pooled their resources to donate rice, canned goods, bottled water, clothes, hygiene kits, medicines, biscuits, slippers, timba at tabo, sleeping mats, towels, blankets, and other supplies.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), represented by Administrator Ricardo R Visaya, signed five Contract Agreements with the project contractors on January 14, 2020 at the Administrator’s Conference Room, 2^nd Floor, Building A.

These projects include 1) P322.83-million Ibato-Iraan Earthfill Dam located in Aborlan, Palawan represented by Green Asia Construction and Development Corporation Authorized Representative Renato M. Legaspi, Jr., 2) P455.84-million Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation Project in the Province of Ifugao represented by Tokwing Construction Corporation / ASC Construction and Concrete Products (Joint Venture) Managing Officer Abraham S. Collado, 3) P333.37-million Sulvec Earthfill Dam in the Municipality of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte represented by R.D. Interior Junior Construction General Manager  Ricardo D. Interior, Jr., 4) P832.97-million Balbalungao Earthfill Dam in Lupao, Nueva Ecija represented by P.L. Sebastian Construction, Inc. / R.D. Interior Junior Construction General Manager Ricardo D. Interior, Jr., and 5) P45.5-million heavy equipment represented by Civic Merchandising, Inc. Machine Sales Engineer Aubrey Fe C. Bartolata.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) acquired heavy equipment, service vehicles, and portable current flow meter through First Gen Hydropower Corporation for use in the construction and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activities of irrigation projects under NIA Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA UPRIIS) located in Cabanatuan City, Isabela.

In a simple turnover ceremony on December 13, 2019 at the NIA Grounds, the heavy equipment, service vehicles, and portable current flow meter were turned over by First Gen Vice President Dennis Gonzales to the NIA Top Management Officials headed by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya. The activity is witnessed by other Central NIA Top Management Officials, Central Office Department Managers, and employees.

The acquisition of light/transport and heavy equipment, and portable current flow meter is part of Administrator Visaya’s Four-Point Agenda, particularly, in instituting measures to improve the delivery of services, such as but not limited to modernization of equipment for operations and maintenance. The portable current flow meter is a useful instrument to measure the volume of water discharged to the irrigation canals.

“NIA INCURRED DELAYS ON 299 PROJECTS COSTING P20.704 B”, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported in its Annual Audit Report for the Years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018. This is the report which catched the limelight few months ago.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on its part conducted a thorough assessment of the projects mentioned in the report. It was found out that the 299 projects are actually 293 contract packages representing 134 projects. This means that there are projects with several contract packages.  Reasons for the delay were included in the report, such as unfavorable weather condition and delayed released of funds, which usually coincides with cropping season that virtually put a stop to construction especially in existing irrigation systems.

The Office of Senator Ralph G. Recto was furnished a copy of the report, the Presidential Management Staff, the COA, as well as the media.

As an update on the status, as of November 15, 2019, 257 contract packages were completed, 11 ongoing, 1 suspended, 5 mutually terminated, and 11 blacklisted. Likewise, upon further evaluation, 2 contract packages were counted twice, hence, the 293 should instead be 292 contract packages.