SITE INSPECTION. National Irrigation Administration (NIA) personnel inspect a portion of the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project in this undated photo. The project has a proposed funding of PHP25.7 billion to be implemented by NIA. (Photo courtesy of INISAIP)
LAOAG CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is pushing for the approval of a big-ticket irrigation project to provide year-round supply of water to farmers in the northern part of Luzon.
Weynard Joseph Untalan, acting project engineer of the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project (INISAIP), said Monday the PHP25.7-billion project is expected to irrigate over 14,000 hectares farmlands in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Abra.
“The project is vital to boost the productivity of our farmers and ensure food security,” he said.
Conceived during the time of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, local officials here are hoping to realize the completion of the project under the administration of his son and namesake, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
To date, the NIA said access roads are now being built to give way to the 126.41-meter high storage dam across the Palsiguan River in Lagayan, Abra.
Right-of-way personnel of the NIA earlier conducted lot verification activities to identify the probable owners of the traversed lots of INISAIP in Batac City.
"Approximately 61 percent of the target (property needed as right-of-way site) for Batac City was already accomplished,” Untalan said.
Over the years, Ilocos farmers, particularly in the second district of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, have been experiencing water shortage to irrigate their farmlands due to lack of irrigation facilities. (PNA)
