By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle
The $1-million project review for the rehabilitation of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage-1 (BHIP-1) to be funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is being questioned by a former project engineer of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
KOICA has entered into an agreement with NIA and the provincial government last Tuesday at the Bohol Beach Club to conduct feasibility studies and detailed design on the improvement of BHIP-1 (Malinao Dam).
The agreement, which includes a $1-million grant from the Korean government, would only entail unnecessary expenditure for the government in payment for the loan, according to Engr. Petronilo Sarigumba, the whistleblower of the anomalous irrigation projects in the province.
According to Sarigumba, instead of engaging the Koreans to conduct a feasibility study on the Malinao Dam rehabilitation, NIA should dig up a previous project study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The feasibility study has been approved by NIA and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Sarigumba claimed.
The viability of Malinao Dam depends on the development of its 15,000-hectare watershed area since the irrigation facility was built with a small reservoir which is primarily intended to store rainwater, Sarigumba stressed.
However, according to Sarigumba, only the infrastructure component of the Malinao Dam has been implemented while its watershed was left undeveloped until now.
Even with sufficient water coming from its sources, the Wahig and Pamacsalan River system, the dam will still fail if the watershed area is not developed as siltation will fill up its small reservoir. --
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