LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Thousands of farmers benefitting from the operation of three national irrigation systems (NIS) in the region still owe the Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-CAR) more than P33 million in irrigation service fees accumulated through the years.
Engr. John Socalo, NIA-CAR regional irrigation manager, said the agency is inclined to collect the accumulated irrigation service fees to help sustain the operation and the provision of services to the farmers in the different parts of the region even if the irrigation fees for this coming cropping season will be free pursuant to the election promise of president Rodrigo R. Duterte.
“We are still grateful because there are still farmers within the service areas of our national irrigation systems who voluntarily pay to our provincial irrigation offices their existing and back accounts. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to collect back accounts within a reasonable period of time because we also understand the current situation of our farmers,” Socalo stressed.
The NIA-CAR official admitted there was a significant drop in their collection of the irrigation service fees from the farmers following the pronouncement from the President that the irrigation for farmers will be free as per his election promise.
However, the agriculture department clarified that the free irrigation farmers will be implemented in 2017, thus, farmers were still required to pay irrigation service fees to the agency for the whole year last year.
According to him, the amount provided by Congress to replace the irrigation fees from the farmers is still not sufficient to cover the operation of the agency for the whole year that is why NIA offices are trying to collect the back accounts of farmers so that there will be funds to augment their operations for the year.
Thousands of farmers benefit from the operation of the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS) in Tabuk City, Kalinga; the Hapid Irrigation system (HIS) in Ifugao and the West Abulug Irrigation System (WAIS) in Pudtol, Apayao.
Socalao urged farmers to continue voluntarily settling their obligations with the agency through its nearest provincial irrigation offices so that they will not be compelled to go to their respective houses and collect their unpaid accounts that were accumulated over the past several years.
He said farmers are lucky because the President made good his promise of free irrigation that is why they should strive hard to sustain their improved productivity and help improve the country’s rice production towards a rice self-sufficient Philippines.
Despite the free irrigation for farmers, Socalo asserted the agency remains steadfast in making sure that the various national and communal irrigation systems will be providing abundant irrigation for the farmers during the cropping seasons.
By HENT
