NIA wants P200-B for unirrigated lands

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Saturday said PHP200 billion is needed annually for the next 10 years to fully cover the country’s unirrigated land.

The Department of Agriculture in January said there are still at least 1.2 million hectares of unirrigated land, which needs an investment of at least PHP1.2 trillion if the government is to meet its rice self-sufficiency goals.

“Iyong remaining unirrigated area natin, kailangan po natin ng 200 billion yearly for the next 10 years. Kung may 200 billion ang NIA maraming mapupuntahan iyan (For our remaining unirrigated land, we need at least 200 billion yearly for the next 10 years. If NIA has 200 million that would go a long way),” NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

The official said NIA is not expecting the full amount to be immediately granted but hoped the Department of Budget and Management would provide ample funds to help advance its programs.

“Hindi ko naman pinapangarap na ibigay nilang buo iyong 200 billion, dahil nga tumutulong naman na ang DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) ngayon para punuan itong ating kakulangan (I'm not expecting that they would give the full 200 billion because we are getting help from the DPWH to fill the gaps),” he said.

“So dapat iyong mga gagawin ng DPWH na mga flood control projects na may irrigation component, dapat bigyan ng DBM ng karampatang pondo sa NIA (But for the DPWH flood control projects with irrigation component, I hope the DBM also gives an appropriate funding for NIA),” he added.

The official was referring to NIA’s convergence effort with the DPWH on the Sabo Dam project for flood control and irrigation.

A sabo dam controls sediment transportation, prevents riverbed aggradation and mitigates water-induced disasters.

“Anong silbi ng pinalagyan ng DPWH ng sabo dam kung wala namang irrigation canal. Kasi hindi na mandate ng DPWH iyan (What's the use of DPWH putting the sabo dam if there's no irrigation canal. That's no longer their mandate),” he explained.