Drilon lauds Iloilo mayors' support to Jalaur project

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - — Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon welcomed the move of the 23 municipal mayors and two city mayors of Iloilo to support his pet project - the P11.2 billion Jalaur Multi-Purpose Project II in Calinog town to counter the writ of kalikasan issued by the Supreme Court last year  petitioned by former second district congressman Augusto Syjuco.

Drilon said the mayors' support through a resolution that will be submitted by the mayors to the SC will simply show that the project received a social acceptability from the neighboring municipalities of Calinog, Lambunao, Badiangan, Janiuay, Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara, Pavia, Alimodian, Leon, San Miguel, Oton, Tigbauan, Duenas, San Enrique, Anilao, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, Mina, New Lucena, Pototan, Zarraga, Leganes and two cities of Passi and Iloilo.

"It is very favorable and will add weight to the said project although the petition is just like any other petitions that will not stop us from implementing it since the court did not issue any Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) or any injunctive writ and referred the case to the Court of Appeals," he said.

The senator added that the petition is just baseless because the law which was passed in the Congress authorized them to construct and proceed with the project that was already initiated 53 years ago.

Drilon said the SC only ordered them including National Irrigation Administration , Department of Agriculture, National Economic Development Authority, and Department of Agrarian Reform  to submit their comment on the petition.

Drilon added the first of the three dam projects will be completed before President Benigno Aquino III's term ends in 2016 while the two other dams will just follow. Once completed, this project will irrigate areas of Iloilo from 22,340 to 31,840 hectares and will also benefit 783, 000 farm workers and improve rice yield of farmers from 3.25 to 5.20 metric tons per hectare every cropping season.

Drilon also said the project will also employ 17,000 workers during actual construction which equivalent to approximately P 1.3 billion in basic wages per year, as well as provide livelihood opportunities on eco-tourism.

Aside from increasing the rice production and fishery livelihood, the senator said the Jaluar River is one of the major rivers in Panay Island that could provide required water resources for multi-purpose utilization such as water resources for irrigation, 6.6-megawatt hydroelectric power, domestic/industrial water supply, and other related water resources development.

The JRMP State II is regulating and controlling floods caused by the Jalaur River, storing its waters and using them irrigate agriculture lands in the Jalaur Valley and generating and transmitting electric power and energy.

Drilon added the said project will supply potable water of 1.2 cubic meter per second that will address present and future demand in 180 villages in Iloilo City and nearby municipalities in the province.

 He said the overall objective of this project is to sustain the regional's rice self-sufficiency and contribute to the annual increase in the country's rice production target of 7.6 percent (food staples self-sufficiency roadmap 2011-2016). Drilon added that the project has also potential in hydro-power that will address the need for additional power supply in Panay municipalities.

The Korean Export-Import (Eximbank) will fund US $208 million through an official development assistance loan and P2.2 billion will be funded by the Philippine government. The loan is payable for 30 years at 0.15 percent interest per annum.  (FREEMAN)