TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Malaggan Small Water Impounding Project in Purok 6 Barangay Balong was formally inaugurated recently.
One of the eight projects provided by the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) for the province, it is substantially or 95% finished and ready for usage by farmer-beneficiaries in Barangay Balong.
The dam, which has the dimensions of 97.50 meters in length, 12 meters in breadth, and 15 meters in height falls under the Rice Program of the DA with a contract cost of P14,984,523.93 scheduled for construction on December 31, 2021.
The primary purpose of the Malaggan Small Water Impounding Project, according to Orlando Panabang, engineer of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, is to hold back water and create a reservoir that will store rainwater during the rainy season for immediate or future use. This water will be distributed to farm lands in Balong that are dependent on rain. He said that subterranean pipes were used to connect the water reservoir with the intended farmlands.
There is no risk that the water reservoir will run dry, according to Engr. Hazel Jane Ayan of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist because water from a Balong creek flows straight into the impounding project.
She mentioned that there are other DA-CAR-funded small water impounding projects which were constructed in the city and these are found in barangays Nambaran, Cudal, Bulo, Lacnog and Agbannawag.
In his statement, Governor James Edduba expressed his gratitude to the DA-CAR for the small water impounding project extended to Balong and he hopes it will help boost rice production. The Small Water Impounding System Association (SWISA) members and officers were also enlisted by Edduba to help care for the newly-built project, extend its life, and benefit more farms.
According to the records of the Office for the City Agricultural Services, Balong has about 15 hectares of farm lands and it is expected that the project will immediately benefit these fields.
Governor Edduba, with Balong Barangay Chairman Jerry Doctolero, City Councilor Samuel Sumaal representing City Mayor Darwin Estrañero, Provincial Agriculturist Domingo Bakilan, officials from DA-CAR, and officers of the SWISA led the ribbon cutting ceremony before the blessing officiated by Fr. Roman Macaiba.
