PANGASINAN, PHILIPPINES – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has distributed 643 water pumps and constructed nine solar-powered irrigation systems in Pangasinan to assist farmers during the El Niño phenomenon.
Engineer John Molano, Division Manager of the NIA-Pangasinan Irrigation Management Office, stated Thursday that the water pumps were given to every irrigator organization in the province, covering 65,611.52 hectares of agricultural land.
“All districts of Pangasinan got their water pumps. The associations got one to two units, which will be sent to the member farmers,” Molano shared in an interview.
Nine solar-powered irrigation systems are also being constructed in Aguilar, Malasiqui, Mangaldan, Dasol, Manaoag, San Jacinto, Rosales, Binalonan, and Umingan.
Molano said they target to rinse a minimum of 520 hectares in each town with this project, and each facility costs around PHP2 million to PHP10 million, depending on the covered area.
“The irrigators will not spend any amount. It will also save them from gasoline,” he added.
Meanwhile, this town’s Dumuloc Small Reservoir Irrigation Project construction is about 48 percent complete. Molano stated that the target completion date of the earthfill dam is April 19, 2025.
“When operational, the impounded water will directly benefit 1,484 families from barangays Hacienda, Salomague Norte, Salomague Sur, Bolaoen, Cayanga, Poblacion, Portic, Laguit Centro, San Francisco, and Umanday in this town,” he said.
Cesar Boquiren, president of the Federation of Dumuloc River Irrigation Systems, said they thank the NIA for these projects.
“We thank the NIA because we have been waiting for this. Currently, there is a shortage in the water supply for irrigation in our place, so even if farmers want to plant more, they cannot, and only a few plant for third cropping,” Boquiren stated.
The project includes hydrology, a dam, a spillway, a diversion conduit, irrigation outlets, and a reservoir.
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