The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), through the Public Affairs and Information Staff (PAIS), offers this clarificatory statement to give light on the issue being circulated in the media about the supposed Php9.9B-fund allocated to NCR for “irrigation projects.”
The Php9,865,878.00 (to be exact) is not meant to fund irrigation projects in Metro Manila for a very obvious reason: there are no irrigation projects or systems in this very urbanized part of the country. The said amount, although it is stated in the DBM document that it is allocated to National Capital Region, is in fact for projects with Project Management Offices based at the NIA Central Office in Quezon City and/or activities undertaken by some sectors at the central office.
These projects/activities include the following:
I. Locally-Funded Projects
a. Feasibility Studies, Detailed Engineering, and Pre-Engineering Activities of various projects. The conduct of Feasibility Studies requires specialists from various disciplines, and such positions are only available at the Central Office. (Php310.000M)
b. Provision for the Non-Power Component of the San Roque Multipurpose Project, of which Php3.789B is for payment of unbooked obligations.
II. Foreign-Assisted Projects*
a. Participatory Irrigation Development Project-Phase I (PIDP), nationwide (Php152.410M)
b. National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP), nationwide (Php927.070M)
c. Jalaur River Multipurpose Irrigation Project Stage II (Php1.190B)
d. Adopting to Climate Change Impact Through the Construction of Water Impounding Facilities in the Philippines (Pasa SRIP in Isabela) (Php9.215M)
*These projects have Project Management Offices at the NIA Central Office in Quezon City.
III. Programs
a. General Administration and Support (General Management and Supervision) (Php1,642,973.00)
b. Support to Operations (Irrigation Support Services [Php72.265M); Monitoring and Evaluation Activities for Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Project [Php5.361M]; and Quick Response Fund [Php500.000M])
c. Operations (Construction of Irrigation Projects and Repairs of Irrigation System – Payment of Right of Way [Php939.002M]; Completion works and Unpaid claims and damages of completed projects [Php63.285M]; Irrigation Management Transfer Support Services [Php12.000M]; and Climate Change Adaptation Works [Php16.500M])
d. CARP-IC (for the requirement of the Program Beneficiaries Development Component of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) (Php236.793M)
The amounts stated herein are either released or held at the Central Office to support the various activities included in each of the project/program and not intended for the actual construction and rehabilitation of irrigation projects/systems and other irrigation-related activities in NCR/Metro Manila.
It is hoped that we have provided you sufficient information regarding the issue at hand. Should you have any other questions on the matter or other concerns regarding our agency, our office is more than willing to provide you with the most objective and credible information that will better inform the public about NIA’s existence and efforts in agricultural productivity and nation-building.
Thank you.
PILIPINA P. BERMUDEZ
Department Manager A
Public Affairs and Information Staff, NIA
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