Marcos orders NIA to put irrigation systems in El Niño-hit Occidental Mindoro

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday directed the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to set up irrigation systems in Occidental Mindoro to augment agricultural production in several municipalities amid the El Niño phenomenon.

Speaking during the distribution of various government assistance in Occidental Mindoro, Marcos acknowledged El Niño's impact on the livelihood of farmers and the province's agriculture sector.

"Kaya't nandito, kasama rin natin—hindi umakyat sa stage, nandiyan si—ang National Irrigation [administrator]—ayan, si Eddie Guillen, taga amin po ito pero siya'y nailagay natin sa Irrigation at marami po tayong plano," Marcos said in his speech at the San Jose Municipal Gym, Occidental Mindoro.

(He didn't go up the stage but here with us is National Irrigation [administrator] Eddie Guillen. He's from us but he was designated in Irrigation and we have many plans.)

"Mayroon po tayong pinaplano na dam na ilalagay para ma-koberan (cover) hanggang San Jose, Magsaysay, at mapatubigan na. Para naman kahit na mahina ang ulan ay mayroon pa tayong makukuhanan ng tubig," he added.

(We are planning to build a dam that would cover irrigation areas up to San Jose, Magsaysay. So that even if we have low rainfall, residents would still have a source of water.)

Aside from irrigation water from dams, Marcos said the government would also provide solar-powered pumps to irrigate hard-to-reach upland areas.

During the President's visit to the province, the Department of Agriculture (DA) handed over P3,000-fuel subsidy to 393 farmers; P5,000 each to 1,153 affected farmers under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance; P5.1 million to 193 farmers under the El Niño Indemnification Fund; and P77.5 million Survival and Recovery Aid loans.

The NIA, for its part, extended P7.38 million worth of operations and maintenance subsidy to two irrigators' associations (IA), and certificate of condonation and exemption worth P18.48 million to one association.

Further, the agency also gave 24 units of solar pump irrigation projects worth P50 million to three IAs; and three communal irrigation projects worth P89.26 million also to three IAs.

Last month, 24 Oras reported that the municipalities of Looc, Magsaysay, and San Jose were placed under a state of calamity due to the El Niño phenomenon. — VDV, GMA Integrated News