Bohol farmers want lower irrigation fees

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines - Ten years after the completion of irrigation dams in Bohol, two farmer-beneficiaries' groups have demanded for lower fees and for the National Irrigation Administration to show an "accounting of the proceeds and expenses" of the irrigation funds.

In their position paper during a dialogue with NIA recently, the Alyansa sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Malinao Dam and the Alyansa sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Capayas Dam also urged the NIA to rehabilitate the agricultural lands that have not been reached by the irrigation water.

These groups said they have been dissatisfied with the NIA services through its Malinao Dam in Pilar town and insisted that irrigation fees be reduced to affordable level.

Presently, NIA imposes and collects 150 kilos of rice or equivalent to P1,500 per hectare per harvest.

The farmers wanted this lowered to 50 kilos or P500 or 100 kilos or P1,000 per hectare per harvest.

"The farmers stand that water is a right of the people and therefore it should be free. The payment of ISF is for development and maintenance of the water system and not as payment of the water from the dam," they said in their position paper.

A former Provincial Board member, who requested not to be named, have lamented that her lands, which were leveled for rice paddies, have literally not tasted water because the NIA allegedly failed to provide it as promised.

The farmers also asked the NIA to review and amend policies on irrigation systems and services, such as cropping calendar and billing system, imposed upon them.

These systems are added to the "burden to the already impoverished tenants and small peasants," they said.

They claimed that their productive lands were flattened to give way for rice paddies that Malinao is supposed to service but sadly "after ten years after the project, no water and unproductive."

They accused the NIA of inefficiency in its dam projects, alleging that not one of the dams have served its purpose. They also demanded for compensation or rehabilitation of their lands that until now have remained idle due to lack of water.

On Bayongan Dam, the farmers recalled that the NIA had assured them to irrigate some 5,000 hectares, but such turned out to be a doubtful promise considering that Bayongan depends largely on "excess" water from the Malinao dam.

The farmers further demanded for justice and transparency of the unfinished Talibon dam, which they alleged was an scandalous project, which remained unfinished despite its outlay of P165 million.

The government must conduct an inventory of other small water-impounding projects since some of these were seemingly "abandoned and inefficient." (FREEMAN)