Solon pushes to restore P4.2B budget of NIA for rehabilitation of irrigation systems

Magsasaka party-list Representative Argel Cabatbat on Thursday urged his fellow lawmakers to restore the slashed P4.2 billion budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to allow the agency to push through with the rehabilitation of irrigation systems in the country.

During the House panel deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Agriculture, NIA administrator Ricardo Visaya said their request for a P4.2 billion budget for the Communal Irrigation System was not included in the allocation that the Department of Budget and Management approved for the agency.

"The mostly affected is our irrigation systems restoration program, particularly the communal irrigation system," Visaya said.

"As to making new projects, which takes a very long period of construction, ang pino-propose sana natin is to repair itong mga irrigation system natin na hindi na gumagana. It is sad to note na ito yung nawalan ng budget dito sa program natin," he added.

Cabatbat brought up the concern of Nueva Ecija farmers about a broken super diversion canal in Rizal.

"Kapag nagtuluy-tuloy ang pagkasira nito at hindi ito napondohan, ano ang epekto nito?" he asked Visaya.

Visaya, in response, said if the super diversion canal does not get fixed, it could eventually result in the decrease in palay production which in turn would affect the income of farmers.

"About 30,000 hectares [of land] will be affected," he added.

Cabatbat said this only shows the need to rehabilitate the irrigation systems in the country.

"So I move that we restore the P4.2 billion slashed from the NIA so that they can undertake the rehabilitation," he said.

The NIA was presenting a proposed budget of P32.09 billion budget for 2021, which is 11% lower than its appropriation this year of P36.05 billion.—AOL, GMA News