Senator Win Gatchalian reaffirmed his strong support to strengthen the country’s irrigation systems, stressing that allocating sufficient funding is crucial to boosting farmers’ agricultural productivity and ensuring long-term food security.
The Senate Finance Committee Chairperson has been visiting sites to review initiatives in the pipeline ahead of deliberations for the 2027 budget. He recently inspected the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Phase II Project in Tarlac, a legacy project of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) designed to irrigate 34,000 hectares and benefit 21,000 farmers. The project also features flood control and a power component, ensuring a reliable water supply even during dry months.
The P18-billion project – which began many years ago and is slated for completion by March 2029 – has only P641,671,000 allocated for this year under the General Appropriations Act, which NIA and other stakeholders say is far from sufficient.
‘Sa site visits nakikita natin ang kahalagahan ng ganitong mga proyekto. Ngayon at naririnig natin ang hinaing ng mga tao, sisiguraduhin ko na hindi matatanggal ang budget para sa proyektong pang-irigasyon, bagkus, madadagdagan pa,” Gatchalian said.
“Gusto natin ang win-win solution. Panalo ang mga magsasaka, panalo ang mga komunidad, panalo ang ating food security,” he added.
