Bagong Sikat irrigation project back in operation

CABIAO, Nueva Ecija – The first mini-dam to have been built in the country through funds of the Department of Agrarian Reform-Asian Development Bank-Agrarian Reform Communities Project (DAR-ADB-ARCP), which was damaged by a typhoon seven years ago, is now back in operation in an agrarian reform community (ARC) in this town.

Located in the ARC barangays of Sta. Isabel, Bagong Sikat and San Carlos, the Bagong Sikat Pump Irrigation Project (PIP) was operationalized by DAR Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan, Nueva Ecija Gov. Tomas Joson III, Mayor Gloria Crespo-Congco, ARCP national project manager Herman Ongkiko and DAR officials.

Congco said that the mini-dam would irrigate 562 hectares of agricultural lands and benefit 2,947 individuals in the three barangays, including 1,320 farmer beneficiaries (FBs). The project was funded at a cost of P4.4 million through cost-sharing arrangements of which P2.6 million was provided as loan proceeds by the ADB, P1.5 million from the municipal government and P350,000 from the DAR.

The Kaisahan Irrigators’ Association (KIA) in the area has asked the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to condone the amortization of eight cavans per year since the irrigation system was damaged by strong typhoons seven years ago.

Congco said that the Bagong Sikat PIP is a significant project because it is the first mini-dam to be financed by the DAR-ADB-ARCP. "It was the concrete result of the people’s willingness to work hand-in-hand with the DAR-ADB-ARCP," she said.

The Cabiao ARC embracing the three barangays, which is accessible to all kinds of land transportation, has a total land area of 6,050 hectares of generally flat lands of which 5,675 hectares are devoted to agriculture.

Herman Ongkiko, ARCP national project manager, said that the average annual household income in the Cabiao ARC is P10,785

Of the total ARC area, 2,352 hectares are covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) while 2,354 hectares have been distributed already. The leasehold coverage of 50 hectares is already completed.

Congco said that the KIA has offered to assist in the operations and maintenance of the 1.3-kilometer long canal structures.