The four major irrigation systems in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac and Pampanga, which cost billions of pesos, performed "below expectation” and a study showed there were defects in the planning and design, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) reported.
PIDS consultants Cristina David and Guillermo Tabios said the Angat-Maasin River Irrigation System in Bulacan, Balog-Balog Irrigation System in Tarlac, Pampanga Delta Irrigation System and Casecnan-Upper Pampanga River Irrigation System failed to meet their targets.
The actual irrigated area of the Angat-Maasin River Irrigation System dropped to an average of 17,500 hectares in the last 10 years from the average 22,000 hectares irrigated areas in the 1970s, the consultants said.
The study titled "Appraisal of Methodology in Estimating Irrigable Areas and Processes of Evaluating Feasibility of NIA Irrigation Projects” was commissioned by the Department of Budget and the National Economic Development Authority.
The irrigation budget of P28.8 billion was the biggest chunk in the P88.818 billion budget of the Department of Agriculture. The irrigation systems in central Luzon got the biggest share of the irrigation budget.
The consultants said the competition between domestic water supply and irrigation has brought complications to the drop in irrigated areas and in the Delta Irrigation System only 1,000 hectares were irrigated, which is eight percent of the target coverage during wet season and 30 percent of target coverage during dry season.
"The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) seems satisfied with studies it has conducted to support the funding and implementation of the dam project,” the study said.
"The fundamental issue here is whether NIA, the implementing agency of irrigation projects, should also conduct the feasibility studies, including planning, design, and operations, since it is in its interest to build and implement the irrigation projects to begin with,” the study said.//
Luzon irrigation systems fail to meet farmers’ expectations
