NIA officials quizzed over 'delayed' completion of projects

Senator Cynthia Villar on Thursday questioned officials of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) over delays in the completion of irrigation projects.

At a hearing, the chairperson of the Senate committee on ggriculture sought an explanation as to why six NIA projects were less than 10% complete.

"These are in Pangasinan, Guimaras, Bohol, North Cotabato, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Iloilo...there is 6% or 2%, ano ba iyan? Walang impact ito sa tao," Villar said.

(What is this? This has no impact on beneficiaries!)

"Mas maganda na less projects pero nagagawa kaysa kadami daming projects pero 5% to 10% lang ang nagagawa. Ano bang kalokohan iyan?" she added.

(You should have fewer projects and finish them instead of having so many projects when you can only finish 5% to 10% .)

"Ang dami dami niyong projects, wala naman kayo nagagawa! Bakit ganito ang performance? Bakit kayo nagsimula na hindi niyo kayang gawin," Villar said.

(You have so many projects and you cannot finish them. Why such a performance? Why start something you cannot finish?)

She also cited an irrigation project in Balog-balog Tarlac which is only 50% done even if it started in 2013 or during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III.

"Fifty percent pa lang hanggang ngayon. This is in Tarlac. Kung ako si PNoy, pagbabarilin ko kayo pag di niyo tinapos ang Balog-balog during my term," Villar said.

(If I was President Aquino, I would have shot you if you were not able to finish that Balog-balog during my term.)

NIA acting Administrator Eduardo Guillen said the delays were due to a lack of funding since the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released the funds in tranches.

"For example, P1 billion po, P100 million a year po ang nare-release," Guillen said.

(For example, only P100 million a year is being released for a project allocated P1 billion.)

Villar said, "Even if it is just P100 million a year, a P1 billion project should be 50% done by now."

"Kawawa naman ang beneficiaries,"Villar said.

(This is to the disadvantage of the beneficiaries.)

Guillen said the NIA would prioritize more feasible irrigation projects. —NB, GMA Integrated News