Rice production in Northern Mindanao is expected to improve after the PHP1.8-billion irrigation projects were turned over to their organizations during ceremonies here on Tuesday.
The turnover ceremony was at the conference room of the Chali Beach Resort in Barangay Cugman.
Dimatimpos Tomarompong, the president of the Lindongan Farmers Irrigators Association (FIA), Inc. from Tangkal, Lanao del Sur, said in his speech with the irrigation projects of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), he hopes that local farmers can better contribute to the country’s food security with less dependence on imports.
“Let us bring back the liveliness of our farmers so that we can give back to the country instead of importing from other foreign countries,” he said in the vernacular.
Tomarompong said he appreciated the efforts made by the NIA’s local management office to supervise the irrigation projects in their area all year round.
Aiding the economy by boosting agricultural production throughout the region, the NIA-10 (Norther Mindanao) turned over 51 projects to three irrigation management offices (IMOs) with the PHP1.8 billion project allocation.
A breakdown of the total allocation included the Bukidnon IMO with a total of PHP1.4 billion for its 29 projects; Lanao del Norte-Misamis Occidental-Misamis Oriental-Camiguin (LAMISCA) IMO with PHP326 million for its 19 projects; and Lanao del Sur IMO for three projects with a PHP54 million project allocation.
Abdullah Abdulkahar, President Tongantongan Farmers Association in Madalum, Lanao del Sur, said the irrigation projects were a great help especially in their locality where his fellow farmers had problems with water supply every planting season.
He also said the NIA provided additional training and seminar to the organization’s members which were able to provide updated techniques in farming.
Cleto Mediante, president of Kalabugao Farmers in Impasugong, Bukidnon, also said the projects could alleviate poverty and hunger.
He said the irrigation project in their community is also part of the development program by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
Meanwhile, NIA Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Czar Sulaik stressed the need to speed up the projects to boost production and ensure food security in the region. (PNA)
