NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technologies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD) on Water Resource Management Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative Program on May 27, 2022 at the NIA Administrator’s Conference Room, 2^nd Floor, Building A.

The signing of the MOU between NIA, represented by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, and the DOST-PCIEERD, represented by Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, aims to pursue the Water Resource Management Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative Program (WRMCRII-P) as DOST-PCIEERD and NIA recognize a need to continually develop new strategies in enhancing disaster resiliency of our local government/community, and climate change adaptability of our development and infrastructure investment in light of the rapid advancement of Science and Technology, as well as the growing challenges and uncertainties brought upon by climate change and disasters.

Led by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) inaugurated the P990.37-million Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Brgy. Kalawakan, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan on May 20, 2022.

The construction of Bulo Dam started in March 2018 and was completed in March this year. With 314 farmer-beneficiaries, Bulo SRIP will provide irrigation service to 570 hectares of agricultural lands - 35 hectares of farmlands in Barangay Kalawakan in the municipality of Doña Remedios Trinidad and 535 hectares in Barangay Malibay in the municipality of San Miguel.

Bulo Dam will also serve as a flood control structure to prevent flooding in San Miguel town and adjacent municipalities whenever strong typhoons dump heavy rains in Bulacan. The old structure was originally constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in 1991 as a flood-control project for the downstream Bulo River of San Miguel town. However, it was destroyed by heavy rains spawned by Typhoon Pedring in September 2011. Floodwaters caused the earthen dam to break.

A scenic and fitting venue for recreational activities is also set to be Bulo Dam’s another purpose as the Agency ventures to maximize the utilization of its dams and reservoirs nationwide. Once the water level in Bulo Dam reaches its normal level, NIA will release fingerlings in the reservoir to continuously help the farmers in having extra source of income.

NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) conduct their First Coordination Meeting on May 12-13, 2022 at the Convention Hall, NIA Central Office, National Government Center, EDSA Diliman, Quezon City.

This coordination meeting was conducted after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Executive Order No. 168, series of 2022 on April 25, 2022 transferring NIA to DA as an attached agency from being under the Office of the President (OP) for almost eight years.

NIA contingent is led by its Top Management Officials: Senior Deputy Administrator Benny D. Antiporda, Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Sector C'zar M. Sulaik, and Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Ralph Lauren A. Du, together NIA Central Office Department Managers, Corporate Board Secretary, Regional Managers, and Project Managers nationwide.

DA contingent is led by Undersecretary for Operations Ariel T. Cayanan and Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel V. De Mesa along with their Division Chiefs. They are joined by Regional Executive Directors nationwide and officials of their National Rice Program and National Corn Program.

Pasay City – With the objective of showcasing the significant and major outputs of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 5^th Inter-Agency IFP Forum: Final Project Review of the Working Committee for Forward Transition was conducted at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on April 28, 2022 by the Department Public Works and Highways (DPWH), together with heads of line and oversight agencies, as well as development partners involved in the implementation of IFPs under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) Program.

Led by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, the National Irrigation Administration has conducted the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of 600kW rated capacity standby generator set including ancillary equipment on April 22, 2022.

This has an approved budget of P10,000,000.00 awarded to Automation and Power Distribution Services (APDS) contractor on February 1, 2022. The duration of the project is 120 calendar days which started on February 22, 2022 and is estimated to be completed on June 21, 2022.

The NIA Central Office has been using a 272KW capacity generator for the longest time and this old generator can only accommodate minimal electrical load for the office. With this, the late NIA Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector, MGen Romeo G. Gan (Ret) conceptualized the idea to replace it and procure a new standby generator set with a higher capacity that can supply all the electrical load requirements of the office during a power outage. This likewise conforms to the prerequisite to apply for a permit to operate the generator set in compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2018 certification.

NIA Region XII – NIA Senior Deputy Administrator (SDA) Benny D. Antiporda, together with NIA SOCCSKARGEN Regional Manager Diosdado A. Rosales, led the ceremonial inauguration of the Ground Floor of the New NIA Region XII Office Building located at NIA South Cotabato-Sarangani Irrigation Management (SCSIMO) Office Compound, Koronadal City on April 7, 2022. 

Regional Office and SCSIMO personnel were present during the event. Once completed, the 1,800-square-meter three-storey building worth P220 million will accommodate the transfer of regional office personnel from Midsayap, Cotabato, and South Cotabato-Sarangani Irrigation Management Office employees. This will finally establish the new home of NIA Region XII, along with other Regional Offices, in Koronadal City, the regional seat and center of the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, by virtue of Executive Order (EO) 304 issued in March 2004 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

SDA Antiporda expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome from all employees of NIA Region XII. He then reminded all the employees to take good care of the said government facility as it comes from the taxes of the Filipino people. He further committed to follow-up the release of the remaining P87 million budget to support the overall completion of the building.

NIA Region XI – With the goal of providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable irrigation service to 980 hectares of agricultural land in the Municipality of New Corella, Davao del Norte, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) conducted the Soft Inauguration of the P622-million Upper Saug River Irrigation Project on April 8, 2022.

NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, together with Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Ralph Lauren A. Du, led the inaugural ceremony of the said project. Its components include the construction of a diversion dam and its irrigation facilities, project facility, supplemental drainage, road system, and slope protection works.

Started in 2016 and programmed for completion by December 2022, the project will benefit 310 farmers and their families. Initially, the completed structures can already serve an area of 407 hectares of farmland with 141 farmer-beneficiaries of San Roque, Sto. Niño, Suawon, Limbaan Irrigators Association (SARONISULIA), Inc. The remaining 8.78 kilometers of Lateral D, E, F, and G Canals and one unit of canal structure will eventually serve an additional area of 573 hectares with 169 farmer-beneficiaries from two IAs.

NIA UPRIIS – With its continuous pursuit of providing improved delivery of irrigation services to the Filipino farmers, the National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) led the inauguration of four NIA projects on March 18, 2022 in the Province of Nueva Ecija.

NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, together with Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Ralph Lauren A. Du, led the inaugural ceremony of the following projects: 1) P28.604-million Jaen Solar Irrigation Project located in the Municipality of Jaen, 2) P18.895-million Natividad Solar Irrigation Project in the Municipality of Gen. Mamerto Natividad, 3) P68.9-million Automated Rizal Dam and Headgates, and 4) P7.003-million Electro-Mechanical Steel Gate of the Pampanga River Irrigation System (PRIS) in the Municipality of Rizal. These projects have an aggregate cost of P123,403,455.24. These projects will collectively provide an easier and more efficient irrigation water regulation to an approximate total irrigated area of 147,158 hectares of agricultural land in five cities and 30 municipalities in four provinces namely, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac, benefitting about 102,092 farmers and their families.

NIA MIMAROPA – A total of 6,795.50 hectares of agricultural land in MIMAROPA Region will now have an access to a reliable and sustainable irrigation service as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) inaugurated and turned over 21 irrigation projects with an aggregate cost of P1,173,812,000.00 to the farmers and irrigators associations (IAs) in MIMAROPA Region on March 29, 2022. These irrigation projects will provide agricultural and socio-economic benefits to a total of 1,784 farmers and their families.

NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya led the Inauguration and Partial Turnover of the P890.15-million Bongabong River Irrigation Project located in Barangay Lisap, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. Started in CY 2012, the project was completed in CY 2021 with a service area of 5,859 hectares covering the municipalities of Bongabong, Roxas, and Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, benefitting 1,250 farmers and their families.

NIA Region VI – Agro-ecotourism and continuous irrigation service is now possible to the six barangays in the Municipality of San Lorenzo in the Province of Guimaras, as National Irrigation Administration (NIA) headed by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya held the Groundbreaking Ceremony and Capsule-Laying of Cabano Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) on March 23, 2022.

The P875-million project aims to increase agricultural production and alleviate the living conditions of local farmers and provision of assured irrigation water. Service area is located in Barangays Aguilar, M. Chavez, Suclaran, Cabungahan, San Enrique, and Cabano in the Municipality of San Lorenzo which comprises a total agricultural land area of 861 hectares with 1,304 farmer-beneficiaries.

In his speech, NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya said that aside from irrigation service, Cabano SRIP can be a source of income for the Local Government Units (LGUs). One of the plans of NIA is to convert the project area into a tourist destination. With 3,280 hectares, the Agency allocated about 10% for other purposes like recreational and aquaculture activities.

“Hindi lang ang mag bebenefit dito ay magsasaka, actually lahat kayo, lahat ng mga taga Guimaras, lahat ng may gusto ng additional income, itong Cabano Small Reservoir Irrigation Project ay malaking tulong sa inyo”, he emphasized.