Mini dams rising in 2 places

MANILA, Philippines – Two places have been identified to be among the sites of the eight new mini-dams that tycoon Lucio C. Tan intends to build from his own funds this year to be ready for the next onslaught of El Niño phenomenon.

These places are San Fabian, Pangasinan and San Juan, Ilocos Sur, which will start the second wave of Tan’s mini-dam building program. The six other areas to be identified will be announced later.

Tan decided on eight new mini-dams after inspecting the first batch of eight mini-dams he financed to be repaired long before the ongoing drought was forecast.

“I have instructed our team of soil and water experts to design and build eight more such dams,” he told local officials and farmers of Casilagan Norte, Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur last Good Friday. Tan later visited other mini-dams in Ilocos Norte, including the one in the hometown of former president Ferdinand Marcos.

The second set of mini-dams for construction was first promised by Tan in a talk at the general assembly of the Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education (FUSE) before he went on with his inspection trip.

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 noted that the stored water in the mini-dams were supposed to last until the end of last March but was already depleted as early as February.

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

He has repaired: Patpata 1 and two small farm reservoirs in Patpata, Balaoan, La Union for P1.42 million, Quiling Norte-Abkir diversion dams in Quiling Norte and Abkir, Batac, Ilocos Norte for P3.68 million, Garab small water impounding pond and line canal in Garab, Iguig, Cagayan, for P0.96 million, Dadda small water impounding dam in Dadda, Tuguegarao, Cagayan for P0.96 million, Silag diversion dam in Silag, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, and Casilagan diversion dam in Casilagan Norte, Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur.

Tan said his mini-dam program intends to set an example that it does not take much to store water that will enable farmers to plant even during the hot summer months.

Also, the program plans to teach water conservation, enhance agricultural productivity and provide extra source of livelihood for farmers.

Tan’s mini-dam program came much ahead of the Rain Water Harvesting Act, which was only passed last year.