MikeLigalig.com

By Ric V. Obedencio
The Bohol Chronicle

In an apparent bid to save faces and the farmer-beneficiaries, the Pilar-based National Irrigation Administration (NIA) pledged 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.

During the recent dialogue held at Pilar NIA office, NIA representative Engr. Olimpio Galagala, irrigation superintendent, told the farmers that he would recommend to NIA 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.

On farmers' demand to reduce the irrigation service fees, Galagala made no categorical answer since this is a national policy that is beyond his domain.

But the outcome of the dialogue was short of farmers' contentment. The farmers-beneficiaries belonging to Alyansa sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Capayas Dam (ALMABECAD) 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).

In an exclusive interview, 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.

Invited were Gov. Erico Aumentado, Representatives Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala.

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, especially 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 an a half of his property has been served by water. His farms could only avail of water for about six days in a month, 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 had not been able to benefit from the irrigation.

The farmers also urged NIA to rehabilitate the canals at Capayas irrigation dam in Ubay town since these are already below the rice fields as result of the rehabilitation.

As this developed, the farmers-beneficiaries is set to hold another round of "People's Conference on Dams in Bohol" at Ubay Cultural Center, Ubay Bohol on December 8, 2007.

Invited are Gov. Aumentado, Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Vice Governor Julius Herrera, the three congressmen, NIA officials of Pilar, Ubay and NIA Provincial office, Provincial Agriculture office.

Also expected to attend the forum are Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Representative, Concerned Japanese Groups on Japan-Official Development Assistance (ODA), and other concerned groups and professionals.

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I think if one owns a piece of land, one has to pay a property tax. It does'nt  matter if the land is productive or not. In this case, farmers has to pay the property tax for an agricultural land which is i think lower than that of a  a residential or commercial lot.

The irrigation service fee must stay. It is a standard fee paid by all farmers all over the philippines who are benificiaries of an irrigation system constructed by the government to help pay off the loan. ISF is computed by the hectare of irrigated land. The farmer will pay at a discounted rate if he reports a partial crop damage, and a total exemption if he has no production at all. It is just a matter of reporting the crop status to the NIA.

On the other hand, i think payment of the land levelling expenses must be held in abbeyance pending the result of the investigation to improve the efficiency of water distribution of the malinao dam. This is very important considering that the water for the stage II project in Ubay is dependent on the operation efficiency of the Malinao dam. Once a solution to the water crisis is identified, then the leveled land will be productive again.

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