More than 37,000 hectares of rice fields in parts of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac will go without irrigation from December 2025 until the March 2026 cropping season.

The areas affected include rice farms in San Jose City, Science City of Muñoz, Guimba, Rizal, Llanera, Lucban, Talugtog, Cuyapo, and Nampicuan in Nueva Ecija, as well as Victoria, Anao, and Ramos in Tarlac.

Authorities said the problem stems from a damaged siphon barrel in the Talavera River Phase 1, part of the CASECNAN Super Diversion Canal, which supplies water to these areas under Division 5 and 6 of the National Irrigation Administration’s Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS).

The siphon barrel began showing damage in 2022. Officials noted that illegal quarrying near irrigation facilities and the impact of consecutive storms have worsened the structure, making rehabilitation necessary.

Repairs are expected to continue until March next year. The NIA-Central Office allocated over ₱50 million for the two-phase project. Around 25,000 farmers are affected and are calling for seed aid to ensure they have an alternative crop this season.