CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will construct another dam to help augment the existing irrigation requirements in this province and nearby areas.
NIA Regional Director Josephine Salazar said on Monday they have completed the feasibility study and detailed engineering for the construction of the Bayabas Dam in Doña Remedios Trinidad town.
With a total project cost of PHP2.2 billion, Salazar said the construction of the 72.50-meter zoned earth-rockfill dam to impound water of Bayabas River will augment the water supply of the 26,981-hectare Angat Maasim River Irrigation System through the existing Bustos Dam.
She said the dam will also irrigate about 50 hectares in Doña Remedios Trinidad.
“The dam is recommended for irrigation purposes and is expected to help augment the existing irrigation requirements of the 19,950 farmers on the 27,828 hectares of irrigated rice lands in Bulacan and some parts of Pampanga during the dry cropping season,” Salazar said in an interview.
The first phase of the Bayabas Dam project is the construction of the access road which is almost finished and the dam construction is already up for bidding.
Meanwhile, Rep. Lorna Silverio of the 3rd District of Bulacan suggested to NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya the possibility of Bayabas Dam being used for power generation.
Last May, the NIA completed the reconstruction of the Bulo Dam which was destroyed by a flash flood in 2011.
Bulo Dam serves not only as flood control but also as a source of irrigation water for the farmlands of Doña Remedios Trinidad and San Miguel towns. (PNA)
