PILAR, Bataan – A leader of farmers belonging to the Pilar Magsaysay Irrigators’ Association, Inc. on Tuesday spelled out preparations for El Niño like planting summer-resistant crops, priority in irrigation of hard-to-irrigate areas and sandbagging of the Magsaysay Dam in Barangay Diwa here.
Ceferino Sanchez, Jr., president of the irrigators main group, said about 400 hectares tilled by 200 farmers of the 1,200-hectare land serviced by the dam belong to his association.
He said that instead of rice some farmers plant singkamas, kamote and mongo that do not require too much water during the summer months. With about 50 hectares planted to these crops, the remaining farmers in rice cultivation will have enough water for irrigation and not suffer much during the drought.
Sanchez said through bayanihan they sandbagged the dam to prevent the escape of water to the river and out to the sea. “Ang tapon ng tubig inaagapan namin at hinaharangan na sa kabukiran mapunta at nang hindi kami masiyadong maapektuhan ng tagtuyot.”
The farmers are even requesting government for the rehabilitation of the dam instead of only sandbagging and also fix and cement the irrigation canals for easier water flow so that even farmlands in higher elevation and far from the dam will be irrigated.
He said that while equal distribution of irrigation water is practiced, priority is given to the areas that easily dry. “Inuuna muna namin yung mga nagagaping bukid, doon namin dadalhin yung malakas na tubig. Kapag nag-abot, balik na naman kami sa normal.”
“May parte kasi kami ng tubig, may tatlong hiwalayan ito kaya kanya-kanyang partihan iyon. Kung minsan lang may magsasakang makulit nililikot ang partihan kaya naloloko ang tubig,” he rued.
Sanchez emphasized that they wanted the rehabilitation of the dam. “Ang tubig imbes na papasok sa amin tumatapon lang sa ilog dito. Dapat i-improve ang dam yung hindi na kami magsasako. Taasan ang dam, iyon ang request namin para hindi na kami nagsa-sandbagging.”
He said that sometimes children swimming in the area meddle with the sandbags, causing the escape of the water, especially with the newly-repaired dam downspout damaged.
Another problem Sanchez brought out was about the garbage coming from residential areas that flow into the rice lands and destroy the plants that they hope will be given solution.
