EDITORIAL
This largest water reservoir project in Iloilo is one of the many projects and programs that might be called “M2M.”
This means “from Marcos to Marcos,” or projects/activities that were started by the father, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and which saw completion under the term of the son, current President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
As a nation, we are somewhat embarrassed that big-ticket infrastructure and other vital projects sometimes take more than 40 years to complete. Yet at least it adds to our national pride that under the incumbency of the younger Marcos, drivers of progress such as the Jalaur River dam in Iloilo has been completed.
President Bongbong Marcos on Tuesday inaugurated this largest water reservoir project in Iloilo province, to serve the whole island of Panay.
The inauguration of the huge water reservoir—the largest outside Luzon—took place more than 40 years after the completion of its first stage in 1982, during the time of the President’s father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
The dams of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) span over 80 kilometers with a service area of 31,840 hectares. Around 25,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the project of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Its ceremonial groundbreaking was held on February 21, 2013. The actual commencement of civil works, however, started on April 10, 2019, more than 40 years after the completion of its first stage in 1982.
In his speech, President Marcos said the JRMP II has three key components: irrigation development, environmental and watershed management, and institutional development.
The project costs almost P20 billion.
“This should boost further development in the agricultural sector as well as the local economy of the entire region. In fact, it is estimated to help increase annual rice production in Region 6 by 160,000 metric tons, which is almost 20 percent of the region’s annual rice requirement,” he said.
President Marcos said a portion of the water from the high dam’s reservoir will be utilized to supply the commercial and industrial bulk water requirements of Iloilo City and nearby municipalities.
It is interesting to note that the Jalaur River dam can generate 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power, which will help supplement the power supply on the Island of Panay, aside from hosting or providing venues for the development of inland fishery, floating solar energy systems, and eco-cultural tourism in the near future.
Considering all the benefits that the project can deliver to residents, President Marcos said the project “truly deserves its label: Katuwang sa Kauswagan or Partner in Progress.” Not to be forgotten in giving thanks to people and institutions who contributed to the realization of the project is South Korea, particularly this country’s Official Development Assistance-Economic Development Cooperation Fund. The President said this venture “is not only a symbol of our strong friendship and our long-standing ties but also a reminder of our shared desire for growth and development.”
As of June 2024, the JRMP II has an overall accomplishment rate of 75.51 percent, with three dams fully completed and 49.05 kilometers of line canal constructed. The project is targeted to be operational by the end of 2025.
We believed the Chief Executive when he said that the Jalaur River dam is only the beginning of what the government has in store for the development of the country’s water resources.
“In Bagong Pilipinas, we are strategically harnessing our finite resources, especially water. We are also wisely investing our limited funds in projects that would bring optimal development for the most number of beneficiaries in the most efficient manner,” President Marcos said.
“Our water development projects would not just bring irrigation or potable water to our people but will also help address flooding, produce food, generate electricity, and develop tourism activities,” he added.
Lastly, the warm bodies who devoted their time and effort for the completion of the project also deserve to be cited: the employees and officers of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) along with the farmers who, as a group, are rendering their unwavering service to the country.
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