Irrigation project under study using canals to retain rainwater

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is studying the use of peripheral canals to retain rainwater for irrigation.

“What we will do is offset the water so that it does not go directly to the sea, but it can be used in irrigation,” Agriculture Undersecretary Roger V. Navarro said on the sidelines of a forum organized by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.

He added that the DA is looking to partner with the departments of Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Government, and Environment and Natural Resources, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management.

The DA’s flagship projects include increasing irrigation to underserved farming areas.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. issued Executive Order No. 69 transferring the NIA to the control of the Office of the President, which is expected to improve NIA’s access to funding.

Mr. Marcos has pushed for more irrigation dams and bulk water projects to ensure sufficient usable water for communities.

Only 68% of the country’s farmland was irrigated as of 2023, equivalent to 2.11 million hectares, leaving 1.1 million without access.

“You can just imagine we have 2.6 meters of rainfall every year. That’s a lot of water. The problem is we are doing flood control but don’t consider our production areas,” Mr. Navarro added.

The Philippines faces an average of 20 typhoons a year. In August, Metro Manila and nearby provinces were flooded due to the typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon. — Adrian H. Halili