JAGNA – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has allocated ₱21 million for the repair of communal irrigation systems (CIS) in five barangays in Jagna that were affected by typhoon Odette and other disasters.
A team of engineers from NIA’s Engineering Construction and Operation Section in Region 7 visited Mayor Joseph Rañola’s office on February 20, 2023 to deliver the funds and discuss the details of the project.
The beneficiaries are Alejawan with ₱13 million, Cabunga-an with ₱500,000, Calabacita with ₱2.5 million, Cambugason with ₱3.5 million and Balili with ₱1.5 million.
Vice Mayor Teofisto Pagar Jr., Municipal Planning and Development Officer Engr. Peter Jamero and Chief of Staff Joel Rosario welcomed the NIA engineers on behalf of Mayor Rañola who expressed his gratitude for their assistance.
“This is a big help for our farmers who rely on irrigation for their crops,” Mayor Rañola said in a statement. “We thank NIA for their support and we hope this will boost our agricultural productivity and income.”
According to NIA Region 7 Engineer Ma. Cesaria Cagaanan, who led the team along with Engrs. Anna Piquero and Edmound Daniel, they chose Jagna as one of their priority areas because of its potential for rice production.
“We saw that Jagna has a lot of fertile land that can be irrigated if we fix their CIS,” she said. “We also want to help them recover from typhoon Odette which damaged some of their facilities.”
She added that they will start working on the project as soon as possible and aim to finish it within six months.
The CIS are small-scale irrigation systems managed by farmers’ associations or cooperatives that provide water supply to farmlands through canals or pipes. (with reports from Jesster Montederamos)