READYING FOR EL NIÑO. National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Ilocos acting manager Gaudencio de Vera (third from left) and the provincial irrigation managing officers of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte speak during a press conference in Urdaneta City on Jan. 26, 2023. De Vera assured the public that they are ready for the El Niño phenomenon. (PNA File Photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Ilocos regional office has been readying measures to aid the farmers in Pangasinan for the expected effects of the El Niño phenomenon, an official said Wednesday.
In a virtual forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency in Pangasinan, NIA Ilocos regional manager engineer Gaudencio de Vera said they have been conducting meetings with stakeholders including the weather bureau, the Department of Agriculture, and farmers associations, among others.
“As far as preparation, NIA monitors dams especially San Roque Dam since it is the source of water for most irrigations in the province of Pangasinan,” he said.
He said there is constant information dissemination to prepare the farmers for the dry season this year.
“We have recommended early planting if possible like in Sta. Barbara town where there is still water irrigation and around 7,000 hectares have been planted early,” he said.
De Vera added that they have already closed most of the irrigation systems in the province during this time as they prepare for the next cropping season in June and focus on repairing and maintaining irrigation canals.
He said among the measures they are implementing is the installation of solar-powered irrigation pumps.
“There were already two in Sta. Barbara town and one in Lingayen town to address the impact of El Niño,” De Vera said, adding that more solar-powered irrigation systems are set to be installed in San Carlos City and the towns of Malasiqui, Binalonan and Pozorrubio.
Meanwhile, projects in Sta. Barbara and Lingayen towns are ongoing, and those in Mangatarem, Aguilar, and Binalonan are up for bidding.
“We envision that every town will have the solar project as we have seen its performance, that is it reliable to supply water to farmlands,” he said.
De Vera said they are also set to distribute 500 units of water pumps as contingency in areas seen to be severely affected by the El Niño.
“We plan to purchase water pumps that will be given to the farmers through their association. I have directed our field staff to identify areas that would most likely be affected especially those in the downstream who will surely lack water so they are the priority in this project,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NIA has allotted PHP300 million this year for their projects in Pangasinan.
The projects are in Mabini town which would cover around 7,000 hectares and benefit farmers in Alaminos City, Bani and Sual towns.
“For this year, the Dumulog project that could irrigate around 1,600 ha is ongoing. It is a PHP1.6 billion project and around 40 percent of it was already accomplished,” he said.
An irrigation project in Aguilar town already has funding and the construction will start soon.
The Bayambang pump irrigation system and the project in Mangatarem that would cover around 8,000 hectares are under study.
There are a total of 180,000 hectares in Pangasinan and 65 percent or around 80,000 hectares are still unirrigated. (PNA)
