TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Farmers in Tabuk pleaded for assistance from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) after the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)-Kalinga suspended the water supply to almost 465 hectares of farmlands to facilitate the maintenance and repair of their irrigation system from May 1 to June 30.
During the SP’s regular session yesterday, a letter was submitted by the farmers, denouncing NIA’s decision to proceed with the previously agreed cut-off as this suspension has severely impacted farmlands, affecting farmers’ livelihoods.
The farmers group, represented by Eisenhower Bucalen, appealed to the SP, requesting the NIA’s humane consideration in reopening the irrigation water supply until May 15 for their crops to at least reach maturity before the harvest season.
They emphasized that many farmers have yet to witness rice stalks emerging from their fields, and the planned suspensions have a disastrous impact especially for farmers trying to recover losses from the previous season, where many didn’t break even but suffered significant losses.
It has been recalled that on January 17, the UCRIS Federation of Irrigator’s Association and NIA-Kalinga agreed on a cut-off schedule from May 1 to June 30, with resumption on July 1, as approved by the Kalinga Provincial Legislative Body. NIA said they informed farmers about the schedule in November 2022.
In a radio interview with NIA-Irrigation Management Officer Engr. Leonardo Lamangen on May 7, he said that the affected farmers are those who did not adhere to the cropping calendar, which requires planting to begin as early as November 2022 until January 2023.
The farmer’s group opposed this notion, asserting their strict adherence to the NIA’s schedule. They emphasized that the primary factor contributing to the delayed planting was the severe water shortage resulting from the critically low water level in the irrigation system.
They strongly urge NIA to conduct farm visitations to witness the actual situation firsthand.
‘’The water supply from our irrigation system is actually insufficient for use on the scattered farmlands throughout the city. We typically have to wait for our turn before working on our farms to water them. The majority of places have timetables for dividing up the irrigation water supplied in their respective areas. Therefore, the NIA should also take this scenario into account. It pays to visit rural areas right away to understand why the majority of farmers are now concerned about that,’’ they stated in their letter.
In response to this, the SP, led by Vice Mayor Dick Bal-o, has pledged to closely collaborate with NIA to resolve the matter. They plan to appeal to NIA to consider alternative arrangements, such as reopening the water supply until May 15 or even further, to help farmers during this critical period. By Ruth Cupang
