Ruperto Hernandez, president of Plaridel municipal agriculture and fishery council (MAFC) and one of the more than 23,000 farmer beneficiaries on the Angat Maasim River Irrigation System (AMRIS) said the yearly problem in water for irrigation supply led many of them to give up their lands and sold them for real estate and commercial purposes.
Hernandez said through the rehabilitation, they see the old deteriorating dam to finally further hold more water during rains and typhoons and be able control it longer and only make releases for their irrigation needs during dry season.
The farmers lament that while they have the resources in Bulacan, they are not the priority beneficiary and recipient of the water but the supply for Metro Manila.
“Nasa amin ang resources pero inihuhuli kami, Metro Manila ang priority kaya sa hirap ng tubig. Ang dami na nagbebenta ng lupang sakahan dahil baon sa utang ang magsasaka dahil sa isa sa pinaka malaking problema ay ang kawalan ng tubig,” he said.
He said this time, the extended, up to May 15, supply of water to their farms by National Irrigation Administration (NIA) officials which man and manage the Bustos Dam is a big help and boost to their farms. “Kung may masira man o umatras ay minimal lang kumpara sa nakakaraan na dahil sa paghinto ng supply ay apektado talaga ang aming mga pananim,” he said.
NIA had earlier advised the farmers of an April 15 cut off in the water supply, but due to pleas by Bulacan authorities, NIA officials only reduced the water allocation for the farmers and extended the release until May 15.
Today, according to Hernandez, the low price of palay also dampens their spirit to continue tilling their lands. He said farm gate price of palay now s as low as P14 to P17 because of the abundance of NFA rice in the market. “Isa pa ulit ito sa mga problema at kalaban ng magsasaka.”
Bustos Dam, other than directly catching rain water and from other water tributary sources catches both the releases of upper Angat and Ipo Dams in Norzagaray towns.
But due to its age and dilapidated condition for the past several years, it failed to hold more water during rains and typhoons when the two dams released more volume contributing further to flooding downstream of Bulacan and failing to reserve water for the dry season and the farmer’s irrigation needs.
Florencio Padernal, administrator of NIA, said the rehabilitation will improve their irrigation service to the more than 26,000 hectares of land of the more than 23,000 farmers in the 115 irrigator’s group beneficiaries from Bulacan and Pampanga.
The improved irrigation of the 261-meter long Bustos Dam, he said, will also improve rice production and income of the farmers.
Last April 15, President Aquino led Padernal and Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and other officials in the launching of the rehabilitation.
Works for the rehab will officially start next month and to be completed by August 2017, the President said.
The President said this is the first time that the dilapidating Bustos Dam will have its major repairs within the past several years as the previous repairs done was not in full blown. He said the dam which are made of rubber gates and other lining and other structural designs have long been slowly deteriorating due to varying weather condition of rains and flooding and the hot weather.
