KALINGA Representative Allen Jessie Mangaoang assured no municipalities will be submerged or affected by the P3.1-billion national irrigation project between the Philippines and China.
"The construction of the irrigation project will be at Pinukpuk, Kalinga, that would give irrigation to majority of the lands of Cagayan province who are part of the recipients of the 4,000 hectare irrigation program and would be the majority beneficiary," Mangaoang said.
The irrigation program is a China-funded project composed of soft loans and grants to which the Chinese government will be the main builders of the project.
"The source of the water will be coming from the Kalinga side of the Chico river after the Saltan and Chico river may have joined having a greater volume of irrigation water which would hopefully spill over to the municipalities in Rizal, Kalinga and then to Sta. Maria, Isabela, Enrile and Tu-ao with other municipalities of Cagayan benefitting from the project," Mangaoang said.
The lawmaker allayed the communities' fear of denudation, saying the irrigation water to be used would be pumped up.
"That's not true, there will be no areas that would be submerged because the water is to be pumped up. I saw the exact location of where they are to pump up the water and there are no areas to be submerged," he said.
The irrigation project to be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration will have an initial budget for this year amounting to P3.1 billion.