MikeLigalig.com

By Ric V. Obedencio

Party-list Bayan Muna Congressman Teddy Casiño vowed to extend help to farmers seriously affected by corruption and poor service of huge irrigation dam facilities in the province.

This came after officials, including Bohol congressmen, snubbed to attend a dialogue in Ubay town yesterday called by concerned farmer organizations despite prior invitation.

Casiño, who arrived here yesterday to personally attend the forum, said that he would see to it what Bayan Muna party-list could do on the sad plight of the farmers, especially those whose leveled lands were unable to benefit from the irrigation.

In a mobile phone interview, Casiño said however that he could not yet give specific course of action to help the farmers depending on what would be the outcome of forum, wherein participants were grouped into workshop-like activities.

He added that he will not only look into why a lot of farmer-beneficiaries failed to avail of the services but also the “graft-laden” dam facility in Talibon.

Bayan Muna provincial coordinator John Ruiz, in a separate interview, said that nobody from the invited officials came to the forum.

Congressman Edgar M. Chatto sent his emissary a day before, Ruiz said. Gov. Erico Aumentado, he said, sent board member Beinvenido Molina but nobody from congressmen Adam Jala and Roberto Cajes being sent to the forum.

The National Irrigation Administration sent representatives but left after lunch for some commitments, Ruiz said.

Ruben Sobior, chair of the Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol) said in his press statement said that the forum tackled contentious issues on land leveling, no water service on some land leveled areas, Talibon impounding project and high irrigation service fee (ISF).

Pilar-based NIA pledged during the dialogue held on Nov. 5, 2007 at Pilar NIA office to recommend for the termination of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the agency (NIA) and said beneficiaries on land leveling to make them productive.

NIA representative Engr. Olimpio Galagala, irrigation superintendent, told the farmers that he would recommend to NIA higher officials for cancellation of the said contract of affected beneficiaries.

He also said that he will coordinate with other agencies concerned like the Department of Agriculture, wherein the NIA is an attached agency, in connection with his recommendation.

But the outcome of the dialogue was short of farmers’ contentment. The farmers-beneficiaries belonging to Alyansa sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Capayas Dam () and Alyansa sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Pilar Dam (ALMABEPDA) are dissatisfied since there is no assurance that what Galagala has said would be realized, said Eugenio Timon, chairman of the Mag-uumang Apektado sa Land Leveling (MALALA).

Timon expressed disgust that the invited officials snubbed them. He said that the officials belittled the farmers in a dialogue wherein it’s the only venue to air their grievances.

Timon also said he was dissatisfied with the outcome of the dialogue because they were not assured of commitments of NIA to resolve their predicaments, including the lack of water flowing to their rice fields.

He said his three hectares of land being leveled in Caluasan, Dagohoy, failed to avail of the services of the Malinao irrigation because the water did not reach his farmland. But for the past ten years since 1997, only about one and a half of his property has been served by water. His farms could only avail of water for about three days every 15-day, he added.

The same is true with land owned by farmer Rey Luchana, president of the ALMABEPDA. His land also located at Caluasan, Dagohoy town. Luchana said that only about two hectares of his 16 has. of land benefited from the irrigation facility.

Both farmer-leaders said that more than 1,000 hectares of leveled land of supposedly targeted 4,900 hectares had not been able to benefit from the irrigation.

Aside from ALMABECAD and ALMABEPDA, representatives of the Association of Concerned Filipino-Talibon (ASCOFIL-Talibon), Boholanos Against Corruption and Social Harassment (BACOSH) and PANAGBUGKOS Kontra K-4 also attended the forum-workshop.


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