IRRIGATION, CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS IN MINDANAO, CENTRAL LUZON APPROVED BY NEDA BOARD’S ICC
MANILA—The Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board recently approved government projects on irrigation, flood control and education that are geared towards promoting agricultural growth, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Two irrigation projects approved by the ICC’s Cabinet Committee (CabCom) are the Umayam River Irrigation Project (URIP) and the Casecnan Multi-Purpose Irrigation and Power Project-Irrigation Component, Phase II (CMIPP-IC).
The URIP is a medium-scale irrigation project that aims to provide water supply to agricultural lands of Adgaoan, La Paz and Umayam, Loreto in the province of Agusan del Sur. It involves the construction of an overflow diversion dam across the Umayam River, an irrigation canal network, protection dike, and improvement of waterways, among others.
“The URIP enhances the standard of living of the people in the project area by increasing rice production through irrigation development and agricultural support services,” said Socioeconomic Planning Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr.
Paderanga, who is also NEDA Director-General, added that given the long-term productivity-enhancing nature of the project, it can address sectoral, regional and local development plans such as the Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap of the Department of Agriculture and the Mindanao Strategic Development Framework for 2010-2020, among others.
Meanwhile, the CMIPP-IC Phase II aims to continue providing full irrigation to 20,321 of the 37,200 hectares of new areas in the towns of Munoz, Guimba, Talugtog, Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija, and Anao, Ramos and Victoria in Tarlac. It also intends to stabilize the irrigation supply to the 40,000 hectares of existing areas of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System.
The first Phase, completed in December 2008, already benefitted 16,879 hectares of new irrigation areas.
“This project is consistent with the objective of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 to improve food security and increasing household income in the countryside through agricultural modernization. It also addresses Central Luzon’s objective of making food affordable and sufficient in and out of the region,” the Cabinet official said.
The CMIPP-IC Phase II is estimated to cost PhP7.05 billion The NIA is proposing that the Government of China fund at least 75 percent of the total cost of CMIPP-IC Phase II.
For the URIP, which is estimated to cost PhP1.56 billion, the agency is proposing that the Government of China fund at least 87 percent of the total cost.Aside from the two irrigation projects, ICC-CabCom also approved the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay Project.
The project aims to reduce the extent, level and duration of flooding in the municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Minalin, San Simon, Sasmuan, Apalit, Macabebe and Masantol in Pampanga.
“This project will directly alleviate the plight of school children in Pampanga in their water-soaked and severely deteriorated school surroundings. They can look forward to a better future as they can complete their education in an environment conducive for learning,” said Paderanga.
Spearheaded by the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Education (DepEd), the project involves site heightening of 26 schools to eliminate school site flooding and stagnant water ponding; reconstruction of 232 school rooms in 47 flood-affected and naturally deteriorated elementary schools; construction of 11 deep well pumps in 11 schools without secured source of potable water; and establishment of flood control measures in the area’s rivers.
Of the PhP4.66 billion total project cost, DPWH and DepEd is proposing to secure 83.77 percent through a loan from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of the Government of Korea and the rest through Philippine Government funding.
The ICC-CabCom’s approval of the three projects would still need the confirmation of the NEDA Board.
The NEDA Board, chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III and vice-chaired by Paderanga, is the country’s highest development planning and policy coordinating body. It comprises various Cabinet Secretaries, the President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The ICC, which is one of the seven interagency committees of the NEDA Board, evaluates the fiscal, monetary and balance-of-payments implications of major national projects. The ICC’s powers and functions reside in its CabCom, which is headed by the Secretary of Finance. The ICC is supported by an interagency Technical Board, with NEDA as ICC Secretariat.
M.R. No. 2012-003
22 January 2012
