Lucio Tan to build, repair more mini dams

MANILA, Philippines - Tycoon Lucio C. Tan is building more mini dams and water catchment basins to help mitigate the impact of El Niño and severe drought in most parts of Northern Luzon.

Tan, 76, made the commitment during the inauguration of his latest water impounding project in Casilagan Norte, Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur on Good Friday.

The eighth mini dam restored by the tycoon in the last five years, the Casilagan Norte diversion dam is capable of storing 60,000 cubic meters of water. It was designed to serve 120 hectares of rice and tobacco farmlands even through the dry summer months.

“I have instructed our team of soil and water experts to design and build eight more such dams,” Tan told a group of local officials, Ilocano farmers and their children.

From Banayoyo, Tan flew to San Juan, also in Ilocos Sur. He inspected the site of a new water catchment basin which will soon be constructed by Fortune Tobacco Corp. and Tan Yan Kee Foundation in partnership with the San Juan municipal government.

After Ilocos Sur, Tan and his team proceeded to Batac, Ilocos Norte to inspect the Quiling Norte-Abkir Diversion Dam in Batac, hometown of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Although encouraged by the success of his water dam projects, Tan said he wants to see proper water utilization and better designs for the water catchment basins to prevent water seepage and too much evaporation. He said based on expectations, stored water in the mini dams were supposed to last until end- March but it was already depleted as early as February.

“We need a better lining of clay and stones to prevent water seepage. I also want our engineers to study whether we need a protective cover to reduce evaporation levels,” said Tan.

The taipan said he is building and rehabilitating mini dams to set an example that it doesn’t take much to store water that will enable farmers to plant even during the hot summer months. More importantly, he said his project teaches water conservation, helps farmers enhance productivity and provides extra sources of livelihood.

Tan is a familiar visitor in Northern Luzon during Holy Week. Hundreds of tobacco farmers, their children and local officials eagerly await the tycoon’s regular visits to seven existing water impounding projects in Cagayan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. Onboard two helicopters, Tan and his project advisers flew from his summer home in Baguio City towards Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.