NIA chief Ricardo Visaya (center) leads singing of “Ako Ay Pilipino”at the inauguration with (left to right) Division III manager Engr. Elenita Tuquero, UPRIIS department manager Engr. Rosalinda Bote, NIA deputy administrator Ralph Du and Division II manager Alvin Manuel, Sr. Contributed photo
TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – National Irrigation Administration chief Ricardo Visaya, along with other top-ranking officials, led the inauguration on Friday of four projects, including cost-effective irrigation facilities, in different Nueva Ecija towns in line with the agency’s modernization program.
The projects include solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in Barangay Pamacpacan, Jaen and Barangay Manarog, Gen. Mamerto Natividad; automation of Rizal Dam and headgates in Poblacion West, Rizal and construction of electro-mechanical steel gate, also in Rizal town.
“Tinitingnan ko nga yung ano, magkano ba ang worth ng projects na ito? It’s more or less P125 million, benefiting about 14,300 plus farmers with the area of 9,450 hectares. Napakalaking bagay nito,” Visaya said.
He noted the timeliness of using solar-power irrigation pumps to irrigate rice fields amidst skyrocketing prices of gasoline and diesel, especially with the war in Ukraine.
“Naapektuhan lahat ng mga commodities. Sigurado ako, aangal lahat ng ating mga farmers dahil hindi sila makapag-operate lalo na yung mga nasa communal,” he said noting that people preferred gas- or diesel-fueled water pumps even when the NIA started to introduce SPIS in 2017.
Engr. Rosalinda Bote, department manager of Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS), said the P28.6-million SPIS in Jaen will source water from a creek and drainage to supply irrigation to 400 hectares of farm land, tilled by 322 farmers. It is within the UPRIIS Division III headed by Engr. Elenita Toquero.
The other SPIS, located in Rizal, cost P18.9 million to pump water from a deep well for 60 hectares of farmland to benefit 50 farming families, Bote said. The project falls wthin the Talavera-based UPRIIS Division II headed by Engr. Alvin Manuel, Sr.
Meanwhile, the automation of Rizal Dam and headgates which costs P68.9 million and construction of electro-mechanical steel gate that costs a little over P7 million to benefit 9,435 farmers in 14,353.34 hectares are a great leap towards the modernization of irrigation system, particularly as the world faces global warming, Bote said.
Rizal Dam, which also belongs to Division II, was built in 1950, she said.
Visaya, a retired military general, said NIA has also purchased 435 motorcycles to be distributed nationwide to improve mobility and efficiency of projects-in-charge of various offices. These were on top of 4×4 pick-up trucks recently distributed to different field offices, he added.
Visaya was joined in the inauguration rites by his deputy administrator for administrative and finance Ralph Du. They were welcomed by Bote, UPRIIS Engineering and Operations Division manager Engr. Vivencia dela Cruz and other UPRIIS officials.
