NIA: Marcos wants 4 high dams finished by 2028 to address water shortage

To address the water shortage, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. wants the government to finish the construction of several dams, including four high dams, by 2028 according to the National Irrigation Authority on Tuesday.

In a press briefing after a meeting with Marcos, NIA Administrator Eddie Guillen said the President expects the following four large dams, meaning those which stand above 75 meters or with a reservoir storage capacity above 60 million cubic meters, to be finished by 2028 or the last year of the current presidency:

• P8.6 billion Tumauini River Multipurpose Project (TRMP) in Isabela province
• P19 billion Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP)in Iloilo composed of two the Panay High Dam, the Panay Afterbay Dam; a high line canal; and a floodway component
• the P22.7 billion Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project II (INISAIP II) and
• the P9 billion Ilocos Sur Transbasin Project

In addition, Guillen said 10 medium dams, which stand at above 15 to 75 meters or with reservoir storage capacity above 3 to 60 million cubic meters, also are expected to be done by end of 2024 or by early 2025.

“Ang bilin po ng ating Pangulo...ang solusyon po talaga [sa water shortage] at maglagay ng additional dams. The President wants us to shift from [building] flood control projects to water management [projects],” Guillen told reporters.

(The President reminded us that the solution really is to build additional dams.)

“That is what we are doing now, because everytime we have water problems, it is because itong mga malalaking dams na inaasahan natin, Magat at Pantabangan dam, ipinatayo pa noong Pangulong [Ferdinand] Marcos, Sr. Pantabangan will be even 50 years (old) in September. Unfortunately, hindi na nasundan ng ganung mga proyekto,” Guillen added.

(The big dams we depend on, Magat and Pantabangan, were built way back in the time of Marcos, Sr. Pantabangan is even turning 50 years in September. Unfortunately, following administrations did not construct projects of such nature.)|

Guillen made the responses when asked for government interventions amid the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) announcement that it would reduce the allocation of water to Metro Manila starting this April due to low rainfall projection.

High dams, Guillen said, provide long term solutions and addresses the country’s water needs.

“With high dams, you get long term solutions because it also provides irrigation, [a measure for] flood control, power generation, domestic water and acquaculture needs,” Guillen said.

“Bawi po talaga tayo kapag high dam,” Guillen added.
(We get more value with high dams.)

Further, Guillen said that the NIA already simplified the process of building dams, which reduced the time frame from building to actual implementation by three years.

"Ang sistema po kasi natin dati is gumawa ng feasibility study, tapos gagawa ka ng design, ng detailed engineering. Eh ngayon po ay iba na]," Guillen said.

(Back then, we start with a feasibility study, then you come up with a design, then detailed engineering. Today, it's different.)

"Kapag mayroon ng feasibility study si NIA, design and build na kami. So sasabihin namin sa mga contractors, “Ito iyong gusto naming dam, kailangan namin ng 500 million cubic meters na capacity, dito ninyo ilalagay.” So contractors na ngayon ang magdi-design at sila ang magko-construct. So mapapabilis po, iyon po ang sinasabi natin," Guillen added.

(When NIA has a feasibility study, we proceed with the design and building. We tell the contractors [who will bid], this is the dam we want, a dam with 500 million cubic meters capacity, and we want it in this location. So it will be up for the contractors to design and construct as they see fit [with our requirements]. So project construction is faster.)—RF, GMA Integrated News