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Move to stop the collection of irrigation fees snowballs

MANILA, Aug. 6 (PNA) -- Two more lawmakers have filed a proposal urging Congress to help alleviate the plight of farmers by stopping the collection of irrigation service fees.

Rep. Horacio Suansing, Jr. (2nd District, Sultan Kudarat) said House Bill 294 seeks to stop the collection of irrigation service fees (ISFs) and other related or similar fees that will greatly ease the burden of the farmers.

“Irrigation is needed to increase the productivity of farmers especially in the production of major staples, such as rice and corn and is therefore key in ensuring the food security of the Filipino people,” Suansing said.

Suansing said irrigation plays an important role in making crop diversification viable as it generally enhances multi-cropping even during the dry season.

“Irrigation is one of the primary factors for the growth of agricultural productivity. Given the strategic importance of irrigation in pursuing sustained agricultural growth and development, rice-sufficiency, food security and the upliftment of the welfare of Filipino farmers, it is the obligation of the State to provide free irrigation services,” Suansing said.

Rep. Estrellita Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija), another author of the measure said, the agriculture sector is the backbone of the national economy as the country remains agricultural, where farmers and farm workers, who comprise the vast majority of the population, till the lands for their livelihood and for the benefit of the entire nation.

Suansing said in the Philippines, the government, adopting the World Bank’s principle that water resource is a commodity, has been implementing various finance mechanism to collect irrigation services fees (ISFs) from farmers.

The lady lawmaker said farmer-beneficiaries of the National Irrigation System (NIS) program administered by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Irrigators Associations (IA) under the Communal Irrigation Systems (CIS) are forced to pay exorbitant ISFs.

“This has led to huge amount of back accounts or unpaid ISFs. These back accounts, which are imposed with penalties and interests have further burdened the already poor farmers with bigger debts,” Suansing stressed.

Suansing pointed out that despite the fact that water, as a natural resource, belongs to the people and should not be subjected to the control and utilization of local and foreign big corporations for profit, the government promotes the privatization of water services to the sole advantage of private businesses and to the detriment of the people especially the farmers.

The measure provides that the collection of irrigation service fees (ISFs) and such other similar or related fees from beneficiaries of irrigation systems funded and constructed by, or under the administration of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), including the collection of back accounts and the corresponding penalties shall be stopped after the enactment this Act.

To ensure the necessary construction, repair and maintenance of these irrigation systems, the measure provides that the NIA shall include the required amounts in its budget in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Farmers, irrigators associations and stakeholders in the agriculture sector are united in demanding for free irrigation services, the abolition of irrigation service fees collected by the NIA and for a genuinely just program that will accelerate irrigation development nationwide,” Suansing added.

Earlier, Reps. Ariel Casilao (Party-list, Anakpawis) and Arthur Yap (3rd District, Bohol) authored House Bill 558 and 37, respectively. (PNA)

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