15 November 2005
Pangasinan – NIA partnership rekindles hope among farmers
FOR almost 20 years now farmers belonging to the Urdaneta-Villasis Federation of Irrigators Association (UVFIA) have pleaded with the National Irrigation Administration to repair the antiquated and non-functioning irrigation system servicing their farmlands.
Helen Valenzuela, president of UVFIA, said association members could hardly pay their irrigation fees because of poor harvest as most of the land they till lack irrigation.
“Some of our old members have died without seeing the realization of their dream of having the irrigation facilities repaired,” she said.
NIA operates the Agno-Sinucalan River Irrigation System (Agno RIS) that services the almost 1,000 hectares being tilled by UVFIA farmers. Of the 1,000 hectares, only 300 hectares are irrigated because most of the irrigation canals are either too damaged or heavily silted.
Engr. Roberto Abule, chief of the Operations and Maintenance Division of NIA Region 1 office in Urdaneta City, explained that the budget for the maintenance of the four major NIA irrigation systems in the province (including the Agno-Sinucalan RIS) continues to be reduced each year mainly because of the inability of the farmers to pay water fees.
He said the amount allotted to the agency is not enough to repair the canals and other facilities.
Help found
When typhoon Feria destroyed the dam of the Agno RIS in 2001, UVFIA officers led by Valenzuela sought the help of Gov. Victor E. Agbayani who lost no time arranging for financial assistance for the immediate repair of the dam.
Because of the heavily silted irrigation canals however the Agno RIS continues to operate below capacity, depriving close to 700 farmers of precious irrigation water.
The vicious cycle of despair continued. Farmers cannot pay the amortization of their irrigation fees to the NIA and so the agency cannot rehabilitate its aging irrigation systems.
“This is a cycle that has been going on and on for many years. So we want to break that cycle,” Agbayani told newsmen here.
Noting both the predicament of the farmers and NIA, Agbayani said the provincial government is willing to repair the irrigation facilities with the Agno RIS as pilot project.
“We will do our best to help rehabilitate the irrigation systems of NIA as much as the funds of the provincial government can handle from year to year,” he said.
Jose Almendares, provincial agriculturist, said about P3 million is needed to repair the 15-km irrigation canals of the Agno RIS alone.
Agreement with NIA
Abule said his agency welcomes the formula proposed by the governor.
In Pangasinan, NIA operates the Agno-Sinucalan River Irrigation System, the San Fabian-Dumoloc RIS, Ambayaoan-Dipalo RIS, and the lower Agno RIS. The four major irrigation systems cover about 20,000 hectares. More than 4,000 hectares of the area coverage are presently not irrigated because of silted or damaged facilities.
Agbayani has initially agreed to rehabilitate the Agno-Sinucalan RIS on condition that the farmers would retain 50 percent of the agency’s collection from water fees for the maintenance of the irrigation facilities.
He said part of the program would be the training of farmers on the operation of the facilities as well as providing them with accounting and administrative know-how.
This will ensure the continuity and sustainability of the program, he said.
Under the province’s Provincial Irrigation Development Program, an additional 12,000 hectares of farmlands have been irrigated since Agbayani took over the helm of the provincial government in 1998.
Helen Valenzuela, president of UVFIA, said association members could hardly pay their irrigation fees because of poor harvest as most of the land they till lack irrigation.
“Some of our old members have died without seeing the realization of their dream of having the irrigation facilities repaired,” she said.
NIA operates the Agno-Sinucalan River Irrigation System (Agno RIS) that services the almost 1,000 hectares being tilled by UVFIA farmers. Of the 1,000 hectares, only 300 hectares are irrigated because most of the irrigation canals are either too damaged or heavily silted.
Engr. Roberto Abule, chief of the Operations and Maintenance Division of NIA Region 1 office in Urdaneta City, explained that the budget for the maintenance of the four major NIA irrigation systems in the province (including the Agno-Sinucalan RIS) continues to be reduced each year mainly because of the inability of the farmers to pay water fees.
He said the amount allotted to the agency is not enough to repair the canals and other facilities.
Help found
When typhoon Feria destroyed the dam of the Agno RIS in 2001, UVFIA officers led by Valenzuela sought the help of Gov. Victor E. Agbayani who lost no time arranging for financial assistance for the immediate repair of the dam.
Because of the heavily silted irrigation canals however the Agno RIS continues to operate below capacity, depriving close to 700 farmers of precious irrigation water.
The vicious cycle of despair continued. Farmers cannot pay the amortization of their irrigation fees to the NIA and so the agency cannot rehabilitate its aging irrigation systems.
“This is a cycle that has been going on and on for many years. So we want to break that cycle,” Agbayani told newsmen here.
Noting both the predicament of the farmers and NIA, Agbayani said the provincial government is willing to repair the irrigation facilities with the Agno RIS as pilot project.
“We will do our best to help rehabilitate the irrigation systems of NIA as much as the funds of the provincial government can handle from year to year,” he said.
Jose Almendares, provincial agriculturist, said about P3 million is needed to repair the 15-km irrigation canals of the Agno RIS alone.
Agreement with NIA
Abule said his agency welcomes the formula proposed by the governor.
In Pangasinan, NIA operates the Agno-Sinucalan River Irrigation System, the San Fabian-Dumoloc RIS, Ambayaoan-Dipalo RIS, and the lower Agno RIS. The four major irrigation systems cover about 20,000 hectares. More than 4,000 hectares of the area coverage are presently not irrigated because of silted or damaged facilities.
Agbayani has initially agreed to rehabilitate the Agno-Sinucalan RIS on condition that the farmers would retain 50 percent of the agency’s collection from water fees for the maintenance of the irrigation facilities.
He said part of the program would be the training of farmers on the operation of the facilities as well as providing them with accounting and administrative know-how.
This will ensure the continuity and sustainability of the program, he said.
Under the province’s Provincial Irrigation Development Program, an additional 12,000 hectares of farmlands have been irrigated since Agbayani took over the helm of the provincial government in 1998.
