Around 4,466 farmers from 15 Irrigators Associations (IA) will benefit from the 16 completed projects of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Bulacan.

In a news release on Tuesday, the NIA reported the turnover of several projects on Monday, including the BUSPAN Solar Pump Irrigation Project in Bustos, the Repair and Rehabilitation of Angat-Maasim River Irrigation System (AMRIS) in San Rafael, the ANBUSPA Solar Pump Irrigation Project in Bustos, the Alagao Communal Irrigation System (CIS) in San Ildefonso, the Cacarong CIS in Pandi, and the Maligaya CIS and Sibul CIS in San Miguel.

In addition, the NIA also secured contracts with 152 IAs for the Modified Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT), providing a hike on the farmers’ operations and maintenance (O&M) subsidy.

This means farmers will receive a higher subsidy of PHP500 per hectare per cropping, much higher compared to the previous PHP100/ha/cropping.

NIA Region III Manager Josephine Salazar, meanwhile, said this is part of the agency’s actions to ensure a “whole-of-government” in helping local farmers.

“Gaya nga po ng sinabi ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., hindi na pwedeng kanya-kanya sa gobyerno ang pagtatrabaho (Just what like President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has said, government [agencies] should not work on their own),” she said.

Salazar cited the convergence of programs in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, Philippine Rice Research Institute, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In March, the NIA will launch similar activities in Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales. (PNA)