NIA Central Office – With the goal of providing more efficient monitoring, evaluation, and field inspection/validation of the status of on-going construction and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activities of irrigation projects nationwide, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has recently acquired 5 units of heavy equipment (Doozan wheeled excavators) worth P32 million from the winning bidder, Inframachineries Corporation.

In a simple handover ceremony on July 28, 2022, Inframachineries Corporation Representative Ma. Cristina De Vera turned over the symbolic keys of the heavy equipment to NIA Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Sector C’zar M. Sulaik. Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Ralph Lauren A. Du, Corporate Planning Services Department Manager Rogelia C. Dela Torre, Public Affairs and Information Staff Department Manager Eden Victoria C. Selva, Acting Financial Management Department Manager Milca B. Cayanga, Acting Operations Department Manager Delsy J. Revellame, Equipment Management Division Manager Albert D. Asturiano, and Human Resources Division Manager Rosalinda A. Segocio were present during the ceremony.

NIA Central Office – Immediately after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Luzon island on July 27, 2022, NIA Management called on a meeting with all NIA Department, Regional, and Project Managers for the assessment of earthquake damages on irrigation facilities.

Upon the conduct of field investigation and site inspection, NIA Region I incurred damages in the Main Canal (150 meters) of Banaoang Pump Irrigation System (Banaoang PIS) in the Municipality of Bantay, Ilocos Sur affecting irrigation service to about 2,000 hectares of agricultural land. The estimated cost of infrastructure damage is P15 million. In Pangasinan, no damages were recorded at the San Roque Dam based on the initial Report of Pangasinan IMO. For the provinces of La Union and Ilocos Norte, no major damages on irrigation infrastructure were recorded.

NIA Region III - Farmers and residents in the ICD - Gawad Kalinga Village in Barangay Saysain, Bagac, Bataan are now assured of better access with the completion of the 1.3-kilometer service road project of the National Irrigation Administration that was inaugurated and turned over on July 12, 2022.

NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya led the inauguration of this service road that links the upland community of GK Village and of the Saysain Farmers Irrigators Association to the main road of Brgy. Saysain.

With a total project cost of P11,200,386.48, this 4-meter wide, 0.20 meter thick and 1.3-kilometer-long concrete road covers a service area of 57.31 hectares benefitting 40 farmers of Saysain FIA along with the 20 families of GK Village. Its construction commenced on September 8, 2021 and was completed on December 5, 2021.

It was through the initiative of Ret. Col. Perfecto Quilicot of raising this concern to NIA that this project came into existence. From the muddy and rough path before which gives heavy burden for the Saysain FIA and to the GK villagers especially during the wet cropping season, this service road helps them transport goods and crops easier and faster.

NIA Region IX – NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, together with NIA-Region IX Acting Regional Manager Salome N. Layasan, led the inauguration of the New NIA-Region IX Office Building located at Regional Center, Balintawak, Pagadian City on June 30, 2022.

The 6,107.82 square meters donated lot by the Pagadian City Government, headed by Mayor Samuel S. Co, will rise the new home of NIA-Region IX. Once completed, the three-storey with roof deck Administrative Building, with a total floor area of 966 sqm, will accommodate the transfer of regional office personnel from Labangan, Zamboanga Del Sur. Aside from its Administrative Building, the new regional office complex will have a three-storey Guest House and 442-square-meter Covered Court. The project has a total project cost of P150.173 million.

Executive Order (EO) 429 was signed in 1990 reorganizing the administrative regions of Mindanao and designated Pagadian City as the regional government center and Zamboanga City as the commercial and industrial center of Zamboanga Peninsula to ensure the effective delivery of the field services of government employees. Pursuant to EO 429, Memorandum Circular 75 was inked in 2004, directing the transfer of all regional offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City, except the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Tourism.

NIA CRPIP – Under the leadership of Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) conducted the Inauguration of the P4.497-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (CRPIP) on June 25, 2022 at Sitio Casiling, Barangay Katabbogan, Pinukpuk, Kalinga.

Started in 2018, CRPIP is a flagship infrastructure project financed by the People’s Republic of China thru the China Export Import Bank under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Administration “Build Build Build” Program. The project includes the construction of pump house, sub-station, transmission line, diversion main canal, lateral canals, appurtenant structures, service/access road, and terminal facilities. It aims to provide substantial and timely water supply for irrigation in support to the agricultural development of the Government.

With water source from the Chico River, the project is set to irrigate 8,700 hectares of agricultural land in the Province of Cagayan (7,539 hectares in Tuao and Piat) and part of Kalinga (1,170 hectares in Pinukpuk) benefitting 4,992 farmers and their families. NIA Administrator Visaya and Chinese Minister Counselor Yang Guoliang led the Switching-On Ceremony to partially irrigate 1,000 hectares of agricultural land covering the Municipality of Pinukpuk, Kalinga, as well as the barangays of San Luis, Malumin, Malalinta, Bikok, and Angang in Tuao, Cagayan.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), headed by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, eyes the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on irrigation development with 50 potential irrigation projects nationwide.

Irrigation development in the Philippines is very slow at 2% of the potential irrigable area of about 1.3 million hectares annually due to lack of budgetary support to fast-track implementation of big-ticket multi-purpose projects; slow phase of project preparation due to failure of local consultants to deliver necessary outputs like feasibility study and detailed engineering design; and conversion of developed irrigated areas to other land uses like residential, industrial and other purposes.

With involving the Private Sector through Private-Public Partnership (PPP) will accelerate irrigation development by offering other potential benefits from the irrigation projects like hydropower and floating solar power generations.

The P33.75-billion Casecnan Multi-Purpose Irrigation and Power Project (CMIPP) is the first PPP Project implemented by NIA. The project generates electricity through the 150 MW hydropower plant and divert water through a 26.27 km underground tunnel into the Pantabangan reservoir in Nueva Ecija.

NIA Central Office – As part of the Philippine Government’s presidential transition process, president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos, Jr. expressed his plans to reprioritize the development of agriculture in the country.

During the Agri 2022 Online Forum, he highlighted the need for a “change of approach” in the agricultural sector. Marcos Budget Priorities include agriculture and food security, climate resiliency, economic recovery, improved healthcare and education, enhanced infrastructure projects, utilization of renewable energy, eco-tourism development, and sustainable development.

With 15 Regional Offices, two Integrated Irrigation Systems Offices, and 64 irrigation management offices (IMOs) nationwide, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) supports the incoming administration to further develop the country’s agricultural sector. From the priorities of president-elect Marcos, one will note that NIA is already working on these with the irrigation systems being developed. Hence, NIA always remains true to its mandate of providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable irrigation service to the Filipino farmers.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the National Confederation of Irrigators Associations (NCIA) convenes for a Joint Strategic Planning and Program Development Workshop on June 1-3, 2022 at Penthouse, NIA Central Office, Quezon City.

The NIA-NCIA Joint Strategic Planning and Program Development Workshop aims to provide opportunity for NCIA Officers and Board of Trustees to present CY 2022 1^st Quarter accomplishments and formulate strategic plans and programs. Further, issues and concerns of Irrigators Associations (IAs) on project implementation, organization and operation and maintenance of irrigation systems will be addressed.

Region XII RCIA Federation President Dante P. Cudal raised that in 2019, there was a surplus of palay in the region. Due to the oversupply of palay, farmers of Region XII were forced to sell their produce up to P11.00 to P12.00 per kilo than the current government support price of P17.00 to P19.00. Mr. Cudal narrated that even the National Food Authority (NFA) cannot anymore accommodate their produce.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), represented by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, and the ASC Construction and Concrete Products / Isnag Builders and Development Corporation (Joint Venture), represented by Authorized Managing Officer Engr. Jomarie T. Alawin, signed the P238.685-million Contract Agreement for the Construction of Remaining and Additional Works of the Marimay Earthfill Dam as part of the P820-million Marimay Small Reservoir Irrigation Project on June 2, 2022 at the Administrator’s Conference Room, 2^nd Floor, Building B.

Located in the Municipality of Flora, Apayao, Marimay SRIP includes the construction of a 30-meter high zoned earthfill dam along the Allig River in Sitio Marimay, Barangay Mallig, main canal and laterals including other related structures with a total length of 26,221 meters, project facilities, and access/service roads including right-of-way acquisition. With the target completion by CY 2022, the project covers 1,200 hectares of agricultural land in the barangays of Allig, Mallih, Balluyan, and Sta. Maria, benefitting 326 farmers and their families.

NIA Central Office – Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) attended the 198^th IATF Task Group on Food Security Virtual Presser with Assistant Secretary Noel Ocampo Reyes of the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

During the Virtual Presser, Administrator Visaya highlighted that as of December 2021, the NIA recorded 65.28% irrigation development, irrigating 2,042,392.66 hectares of agricultural land nationwide. This President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, for the period of 2016-2021, there has been an increase of 311,264.66 hectares or 7.95% increase in irrigation development. Administrator Visaya stressed a record in history, that the status of irrigation development for CY 2021 is 11.68% higher than the irrigation development status 10 years ago (2011).

With 10,401 irrigation systems nationwide, Administrator Visaya cited major irrigation projects completed during President Duterte’s term such as the P631-million Barbar Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Ilocos Sur, benefiting 1,156 farmers, the P645-million Benliw SRIP in Bohol, covering 400 hectares of agricultural land, and the P1.391-billion Upper Malitubog Service Area in North Cotabato, benefiting 2,004 farmers and their families.