P13B INVESTMENTS IN IRRIGATION PROJECTS
ILOILO CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Western Visayas is allocating more than P12 billion for major dam projects and rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems in the region.
Edilberto Lomigo, NIA acting regional manager, said the agency is spending P1.65 billion for the repair and restoration of irrigation systems in Region 6.
“These projects are among the on-going irrigation development efforts as of March 15, 2009,” Lomigo said.
NIA data showed that P24.019 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of 267 hectares of irrigation system in Iloilo province. Part of the fund is used for the restoration of 427 hectares of irrigation system.
Completion rate of the Iloilo projects is 79.14%, Lomigo said.
Aklan has an allocation of P41.72 million with 509 hectares under rehabilitation and 696 hectares for restoration. The physical accomplishment is 37.65%.
For Antique, a total of P14.72 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of 121 hectares and restoration of 251 hectares irrigation. The actual physical accomplishment is 87.17%.
In Capiz, the town of Dumalag was allocated P5.6 million for the rehabilitation of 95 hectares, with a 30% physical accomplishment as of March 2009.
Negros Occidental has an allocation of P19,85 million, with a 71.12% accomplishment.
“These projects generated a total of 31,046 jobs. We expect more employment to be generated when major projects in the region begin,” Lomigo said
NIA-6 is poised to undertake special irrigation projects in Western Visayas.
Lomigo cited the P1.869-billion Bago River Irrigation System Rehabilitation Project in Negros Occidental which covers 12,700 hectares of farmland an expansion area of 500 hectares.
The budget for the Bago River project is drawn from a loan agreement with the Japan Bank of International Cooperation. It also includes rehabilitation of the whole service area, strengthening of the irrigation development project, watershed development and watershed development and improvement of water management.
Another special project is the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP) Stage II with an estimated cost of P10 billion. It will be completed by 2015.
The JRMP-II envisions the construction of a 145-meter high arch dam across the Jalaur River in Central Panay.
“The dam will store water for the year-round irrigation of 36,000 hectares rice land. It will also include power generation with an installed capacity of 20 megawatts aside from providing municipal and industrial water for Metro Iloilo and help develop fisheries development,” Lomigo said.
The Jalaur River is the second largest river in Panay and the 17th largest river system in the Philippines in terms of drainage basin size. It has an estimated drainage area of 1,503 square kilometers and travels 123 kilometers from its source to its mouth in the Guimaras Strait.
It drains the eastern portion of the island and traverses through Passi City and the towns of Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, Pototan, Dingle, Duenas, and Calinog in Iloilo.
Another proposed special project of NIA-6 is the Barotac Viejo Small Reservoir Irrigation covering a total potential irrigable area of 2,141 hectares. It aims to impound water for irrigation.
The Asue River Basin Agricultural Development Project includes irrigation for 6,700 hectares of new areas covering Iloilo’s northern towns of Sara, Ajuy, Concepcion and San Dionisio.
It also includes a mini-hydroelectric power generation and augmentation of the water supply of the Sara waterworks system.
Other components of the project are agricultural extension service; drainage improvement of water logged areas; farm-to-market roads; and community social center with multipurpose pavement for palay drying, trading, assembly and recreation.
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ILOILO WATER DISTRICT SETS ASIDE P190M TO IMPROVES SERVICES
ILOILO CITY – The Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) has set aside an initial P190million for the implementation of its five-year management plan and other improvement projects.
Engr. Adrian Moncada, MIWD board of directors member representing the professional sector, said some P25 million will be set aside for the district metering zone (DMZ) program which aims to reduce non revenue water (NRW).
NRW is water lost to pilferages and leakages.
“We are now studying how to divide our service areas into districts. Right now, we are looking at 38 possible zones. The division will depend on the piping system,” Moncada said.
The water firm plans to fully implement the DMZ program next year.
MIWD serves some 31,000 consumers in Iloilo City, and the towns of Oton, San Miguel, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, and Maasin with a total demand of 35,140 cubic meters per day.
Aside from the district metering program, the MIWD is also planning to adopt the bulk water supply scheme.
A study of the sub-committee on water of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas showed that MIWD produces 40,333 cubic meters of water. But its daily systems loss is pegged at 14,923 cubic meters or a daily shortfall of 9,730 cubic meters.
The daily shortfall is seen to reach 43,914 cubic meters by 2015, the RDC study said.
The bulk of MIWD’s water supply comes from the Tigum-Aganan River and the watershed in Maasin, some 30 kilometers north of this city.
Moncada said the prequalification requirements for interested bulk water suppliers have been published in two national dailies. The water firm is also finalizing the terms of reference of the supply scheme which will also be published in national dailies.
“The bulk water supply scheme is in anticipation of the potential growth of our service area when major business zones and establishments start operating in Iloilo in the next five years,” he added.
The water firm will require some 20,000 cubic meters from bulk water suppliers. Moncada said they will get an initial 5,000 cubic meters from the winning supplier this year while the remaining 15,000 cubic meters will be obtained next year.
The RDC study has identified three alternative water sources for MIWD namely: Dagat in Lambunao town; Jalaur River in Dingle, Pototan, and Dumangas towns; and Lake Vito in the municipality of Dingle, all in the province of Iloilo.
MIWD has so far spent some P25 million for the repair of transmission and distribution lines damaged by typhoon Frank which triggered massive flooding in the city and province of Iloilo.
The damaged lines reduced MIWD’s production by 50%, affecting some 2,200 households, about ten percent of its 22,100 consumers in Iloilo City.
The Local Water Utilities Administration last month gave P2 million to MIWD to help repair the damaged lines.
The water firm is also wrapping up the cleanup of its clogged reservoir basins in Sta. Barbara, a town 16 kilometers north of this city.
Other action plans included in the MIWD management plan is the reforestation of the Maasin watershed, maintenance and manpower improvement and improvement of financial management.
The Iloilo City Council unanimously passed last March 4 a resolution declaring a water crisis in the metropolis. The resolution also called on the national government and other concerned agencies to immediately address the problem.
The resolution aims to fast track the implementation of MIWD projects and facilitate funding from local and international sources.
Mayor Jerry P. Trenas proposed to use the City government’s share from the revenues of a power plant in the metropolis to improve water supply in city barangays.
Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), power generating plants and independent power producers are mandated to share one percent from their revenues to every barangays, city, municipality, province or region where they are operating.
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