Bohol Vice-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera expressed grave concern over the state of small water impounding systems in the country-sides which must be sustained for food security and to provide irrigation services to small-scale rice farming that cannot be served by mega-irrigation projects.
He said that he is batting for sustainability and financial and technical support for the small reservoirs.
Herrera issued the statement during the inauguration last week by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the 3.6 billion-peso Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) stage 2 in barangay Bayongan, San Miguel town. The said mega-project which has generated cost overruns was undertaken by Hanjin Heavy Industries and supervised by National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Bayongan Dam has been put in question due to its "unreliability" to supply water to irrigate the target service area of some 5,300 hectares, having only an existing 1,200 hectares of rice paddies.
The vice-governor led some Sangguniang Members to the inauguration rites together with other Bohol officials led by Gov. Erico Aumentado and congressmen Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala.
Herrera received and met the President at the site where the unveiling of the marker of the BHIP- stage 2 and short program took place.
The President with the assistance of NIA project Engr. Modesto Membreve distributed Certificates of Commitment on the following: Hybrid and certified seeds of Rice subsidy; techno demo project; and 2 units of flat-bed rice dryers.
--published by the Bohol ChronicleLinkback:
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