:: Bohol gets P105M allocation for large irrigation projects :: (943 times read)
Bohol’s five large-scale irrigation project, that requires a total of P1.354 billion, initially got an allocation of P105 million this year, so the projects can already jumpstart soon.
This is part of the fundamentals of development laid down by the administration of Gov. Erico Aumentado and Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera for sustainable self-sufficiency in food supply, so that the next administration can hit the ground running.
The eyed P175-million Bonot-Bonot Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Buenavista, that will irrigate 600 hectares including areas in the adjacent town of Inabanga, got an allocation of P20 million.
The P102-million Hibale SRIP in Danao, which will irrigate 350 hectares, got P10 milion; the P102-million Benliw SRIP in Ubay, expected to irrigate 350 hectares, also got P10 million this year.
The P175-million Mabini-Cayacay SRIP in Mabini, that will serve 600 hectares, got P20 million this year; while the P800-million improvement of Malinao Dam in Pilar, that will serve 200 more hectares of land, got a P45-million allocation this year.
The five SRIPs have been designed to irrigate a total of 2,100 hectares, as indicated in the Powerpoint presentation on “Irrigation Development of Bohol Province” that Engr. Dado Rosales of Cebu provincial irrigation office discussed during the Provincial Development Council (PDC) full council meeting on Friday.
The PDC also passed a resolution approving and endorsing the proposed five-year irrigation development plan (2011-2015) of NIA-7 which Rosales included in the PowerPoint presentation.
Of Bohol’s land area of 411,730 hectares, 40,800 hectares have been identified as potential irrigable area, while the existing service area of irrigation development reaches 21,866.
NIA-7 identified 18,934 hectares in the remaining area for development, as irrigation development is still at 53.59 percent.
Existing reservoir systems in Bohol include the P1.6-billion Malinao Dam in Pilar that serves 4,740 hectares, the P3.6-billion Bayongan Dam in San Miguel that serves 4,140 hectares, the P369-million Capayas Dam in Ubay that serves 1,160 hectares, and the P420-million SRIP in Talibon that serves 1,000 hectares.
Aside from the five large-scale projects for implementation this year with the initial funding of P105 million, NIA-7 has also lined up 35 small-scale projects that have an estimated cost of P81 million and will serve 674 hectares.
In the P3.704-billion five-year irrigation development plan, NIA-7 will cover 26 large-scale areas in a total of 8,280 hectares estimated to cost a total of P2.857 billion; and 92 small-scale areas that comprise 4,291 hectares, estimated to cost a total of P847 million.
According to Rosales, NIA-7 built dam reservoirs to bring socio-economic progress in the countryside.
“However, if their economic life are undermined by rapid sedimentation which would shorten its useful life, then appropriate intervention on watershed development should be done soonest.
