Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Cotabato seeks funding for irrigation projects By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Provincial Government of North Cotabato is seeking the assistance of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap in funding four small-scale irrigation projects in two towns of their province.
The projects require at least P26.6 million and will serve an additional 3,301 hectares of land for rice production in support of the National Government's food security program.
Governor Jesus Sacdalan personally gave the proposal to Bureau of Soils and Water Management Director Dr. Silvino Q. Tejada, who visited the province with Administrator Carlos Salazar of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) last week to conduct an ocular inspection of the ongoing work at the Maridagao Irrigation System canal in Barangay Gocotan, Pikit.
The Maridagao project is jointly undertaken by the Provincial Government, local government unit (LGU) of Pikit, and NIA.
Two of the projects -- the Lama Small Water Impounding Project in Rangayen and the Upper Nicaan Diversion Dam in Barangiran -- are both in the town of Alamada.
The other two projects are the Sta. Maria-Minamaeng Diversion Dam in Sta. Maria and the Maligaya-Patunungon Diversion Dam in Maligaya, both in the Matalam town.
The Maligaya-Patnungon Diversion Dam covers 2,000 hectares, the biggest among the four projects, extending all the way to Cuyapon, Kabacan and New Antique in Mlang. The Sta. Maria project comes next with 1,111 hectares as target coverage.
Upper Nicaan Diversion Dam will cover 110 hectares and the Lama Swip, 80 hectares.
The governor said more than three thousand hectares are all potential rice production areas that have remained unproductive all these years because of the lack of irrigation facilities.
"While we in the province are assured of adequate supply as a surplus rice producer, we feel obligated to do our share in assuring that our neighboring provinces can also have a share in our resources. At the same time, it assures our farmers additional income," Sacdalan said.
North Cotabato is currently listed by the Department of Agriculture as the country's number 9 rice producer. It ranks 1st in Central Mindanao. (With Press release)
