NIA bares P30-M proposed projects
San Jose, Antique -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) here bared project proposals woth P30 Million to be funded under the 2008 General Appropriations Act, said Planning Officer Salvador Oredina.
The farmers in the coverage of Sibalom-San Jose Irrigation system servicing 5,065 hectares in portions of croplands in the Municipalities of San Remigio, Sibalom, San Jose, Hamtic, Belison and Patnongon would be the recipients of the proposed projects, explained Irrigation Superintendent Jose Estaris, Jr.
Included in the project proposals which NIA had submitted to their home office were canal maintenance, construction/repair/rehabilitation of major facilities or structures such as concreting of canals, bench flume and desilting of canals in the main distribution facilities, Estaris pointed out.
The identified areas covered by the rehabilitation/repair of existing National Irrigation System (RRENIS) were the construction of concrete bench flume located along barangays of Igbonglo, Supa, Egaña, Inabasan, Buhang, Bia-an, Bariri and Piape located in different municipalities under the coverage of the system with a combined length of canals of more than 20 kilometer.
These proposed project would greatly boost rice production for the 3 cropping seasons, the NIA Official said.
In related development, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her visit in Nueva Viscaya recently, called on the farmers to help ease the world-wide problem of falling rice supply by increasing production for the staple crop.
The Philippines consumes a total of 11.9 million metric tons of rice annually or an average daily consumption of 33,000 metric tons. Rice prices have gone up in the world market due to increase demand for the staple in the middle East and Africa.
Earlier, the President released P1.5 billion to boost rice production especially in the country's ten poor provinces for the planting of hybrid seeds that yield 4.5 metric tons or one ton more than the 3.5 metric ton production from good seeds, Malacañang reported. (PIA)