President Marcos inaugurates P940 million dam in Ilocos Norte

Distributes P771 million to farmers, fisherfolk in CAR

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos inaugurated a dam and a rice processing facility in Ilocos Norte and distributed assistance to farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) yesterday.

The P940.46-million Sulvec small reservoir irrigation project (SRIP) in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte is expected to benefit more than 1,000 farmers in the area, according to Marcos. 

“That’s why our farmers can (hope) that they will have better and more harvest,” the President said in his speech.

Marcos said the Sulvec SRIP has a capacity of over one million cubic meters, which can irrigate more than 700 hectares of agricultural lands in the town’s 10 barangays.

Aside from storing water for irrigation, two hectares of the dam’s reservoir will be allocated for aquaculture. 

The National Irrigation Administration is also planning to develop the Sulvec SRIP to accommodate a hydropower plant and facilities for recreation and tourism.

“The implementation of this may have been long and laborious, but knowing how many communities will benefit and how much impact it will make on their daily work, it is impossible not to be excited and happy,” Marcos said.

The President also led the inauguration and turnover of the second rice processing system in Piddig town, Ilocos Norte. The event, along with another one in Romblon, were canceled on Thursday due to bad weather. 

“Now, since the (rice) processing has been turned over to a cooperative here, the value chain will no longer have to leave Piddig, Ilocos Norte – the processing – so the expenses of our farmers will be lessened,” Marcos said.

Marcos also extended P771.3 million in financial assistance to farmers, fisherfolk and their families during an event in Apayao earlier in the day.

The farmers in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)  received tractors, mechanical transplanters, open source water pumps, recirculating dryers and facilities, planting materials, credit assistance and farming equipment from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Based on government data, El Niño left P1.24 billion in agricultural damage in CAR, affecting about 30,000 farmers and inland fishermen. 

DA Cordillera regional director Jenelyn Dawayan said each beneficiary received P10,000 in cash assistance.

Meanwhile, in preparation for La Niña, Marcos said P83.744 million in assistance has been readied for the region.

Of the amount, the government allocated P4,437,218 in standby fund, more than P25 million for 31,597 family food packs and P54 million for other food and non-food items. 

The Chief Executive also handed over certificates of condonation to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

“These certificates symbolize the fulfillment of our promise to wipe out the debts of agrarian reform beneficiaries here in Region 1,” Marcos said in his remarks, noting that more than P50 million in agrarian debts of over 3,500 farmers have been condoned in the region.

He added that more than 70,000 certificates of condonation would be distributed in CAR, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, amounting to over P3 billion in agrarian debts.

Marcos signed in July last year Republic Act 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which freed more than 600,000 farmers nationwide from P57.65 billion worth of arrears. — Artemio Dumlao