TO MITIGATE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE NIA to build P1.1B reservoir project in Villaba, Leyte
TACLOBAN CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will build up next year a P1.1 billion Reservoir Irrigation Project in Villaba, Leyte, the first of its kind in the province designed to mitigate the impact of climate change.
NIA Regional Manager Romeo G. Quiza said that the facilities will irrigate rice farms in the towns of Villaba, Matag-ob and Matalom, known as rice producing areas in Leyte .
Quiza said the Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project will irrigate 3,000 hectares of agricultural land during wet and dry season.
“Because of climate change, we expect prolonged dry spell or longer rainy days. We need storage dam to store water during wet season and release it during dry season,” he explained.
Last week, the Regional Development Council has approved the project to be implemented early next year.
The project requires the construction of 35.5 meters high zoned earth dam with storage capacity of about 10.8 million cubic meters of water.
“This will be the first earth filled storage dam to be constructed in Leyte, ” Quiza said.
The reservoir will be located in Barangay Sulpa, Villaba, Leyte . A network of irrigation canals would convey irrigation water to the farmlands located in Barangays Hibulangan, Bugabuga, Tumamak, Sta. Cruz, and Capinahan all in the municipality of Villaba .
Service roads will be constructed on the bank of the canal.
“Also, the project envisions to provide the community an opportunity to engage in inland fish production within the reservoir area. This project will boost the socio-economic status of farmer-beneficiaries in the area,” Quiza explained.
The dam is scheduled for completion after two to three years depending on the availability of funding from the national government.
It is among the eight identified projects under the Small Irrigation Reservoir Irrigation Projects (SRIPs) selected among the 28 proposed SRIPs endorsed to the NEDA for inclusion in the list of pipeline projects for financial assistance under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation 25th Yen Loan Package of the Japanese government.
The project was one of the four priority irrigation projects considered in the Regional Development Plan 2004-2010 as vital in the economic development in the region. Other priority irrigation projects are Catarman-Bobon in Northern Samar, Dolores in Eastern Samar, and Basey in Samar .
Leyte accounts about two thirds of the total annual rice production in the region with its 4,500 hectares farm supplied with water, the highest irrigation coverage.
Eastern Visayas has a total rice area of 160,000 hectares, in which 57,000 hectares are supported with irrigation system. The three Samar provinces posted the smallest area backed irrigation system. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
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