NIA Central Office – Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) attended the 198th IATF Task Group on Food Security Virtual Presser with Assistant Secretary Noel Ocampo Reyes of the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.During the Virtual Presser, Administrator Visaya highlighted that as of December 2021, the NIA recorded 65.28% irrigation development, irrigating 2,042,392.66 hectares of agricultural land nationwide. This President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, for the period of 2016-2021, there has been an increase of 311,264.66 hectares or 7.95% increase in irrigation development. Administrator Visaya stressed a record in history, that the status of irrigation development for CY 2021 is 11.68% higher than the irrigation development status 10 years ago (2011).With 10,401 irrigation systems nationwide, Administrator Visaya cited major irrigation projects completed during President Duterte’s term such as the P631-million Barbar Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Ilocos Sur, benefiting 1,156 farmers, the P645-million Benliw SRIP in Bohol, covering 400 hectares of agricultural land, and the P1.391-billion Upper Malitubog Service Area in North Cotabato, benefiting 2,004 farmers and their families.Free irrigation was pointed out by ASec. Reyes as one of the Duterte Legacy. As of December 2021, about 1,033,778 farmers covering about 1,189,503.87…...

  NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technologies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD) on Water Resource Management Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative Program on May 27, 2022 at the NIA Administrator’s Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Building A.The signing of the MOU between NIA, represented by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, and the DOST-PCIEERD, represented by Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, aims to pursue the Water Resource Management Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative Program (WRMCRII-P) as DOST-PCIEERD and NIA recognize a need to continually develop new strategies in enhancing disaster resiliency of our local government/community, and climate change adaptability of our development and infrastructure investment in light of the rapid advancement of Science and Technology, as well as the growing challenges and uncertainties brought upon by climate change and disasters.The WRMCRII-Program targets to create a harmonized water resource management, disaster resilience, and climate change adaptation and mitigation program based on mutually agreed upon Research and Development (R&D) and Science and Technology (S&T) intervention plan, establish a system where planning, project/program development, and policies conducted by NIA are able to utilize the expertise, tools…...

  Led by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) inaugurated the P990.37-million Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Brgy. Kalawakan, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan on May 20, 2022.The construction of Bulo Dam started in March 2018 and was completed in March this year. With 314 farmer-beneficiaries, Bulo SRIP will provide irrigation service to 570 hectares of agricultural lands - 35 hectares of farmlands in Barangay Kalawakan in the municipality of Doña Remedios Trinidad and 535 hectares in Barangay Malibay in the municipality of San Miguel.Bulo Dam will also serve as a flood control structure to prevent flooding in San Miguel town and adjacent municipalities whenever strong typhoons dump heavy rains in Bulacan. The old structure was originally constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in 1991 as a flood-control project for the downstream Bulo River of San Miguel town. However, it was destroyed by heavy rains spawned by Typhoon Pedring in September 2011. Floodwaters caused the earthen dam to break.A scenic and fitting venue for recreational activities is also set to be Bulo Dam’s another purpose as the Agency ventures to maximize the utilization of its dams and reservoirs nationwide. Once the water level in…...

  NIA Central Office – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) conduct their First Coordination Meeting on May 12-13, 2022 at the Convention Hall, NIA Central Office, National Government Center, EDSA Diliman, Quezon City.This coordination meeting was conducted after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Executive Order No. 168, series of 2022 on April 25, 2022 transferring NIA to DA as an attached agency from being under the Office of the President (OP) for almost eight years.NIA contingent is led by its Top Management Officials: Senior Deputy Administrator Benny D. Antiporda, Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Sector C'zar M. Sulaik, and Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Ralph Lauren A. Du, together NIA Central Office Department Managers, Corporate Board Secretary, Regional Managers, and Project Managers nationwide.DA contingent is led by Undersecretary for Operations Ariel T. Cayanan and Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel V. De Mesa along with their Division Chiefs. They are joined by Regional Executive Directors nationwide and officials of their National Rice Program and National Corn Program.In his welcome remarks, NIA Deputy Administrator Du said that NIAns are steadfast in their conviction and in their determination that together with the Department of…...

  Pasay City – With the objective of showcasing the significant and major outputs of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 5th Inter-Agency IFP Forum: Final Project Review of the Working Committee for Forward Transition was conducted at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on April 28, 2022 by the Department Public Works and Highways (DPWH), together with heads of line and oversight agencies, as well as development partners involved in the implementation of IFPs under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) Program.Being an infrastructure agency, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), headed by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, fast-tracks the implementation of six IFPs to cover more agricultural areas in the country. In his Executive Report, he shared the accomplishments of NIA’s IFPs, namely, the P13.37-billion Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project – Phase II (BBMP-II) in Tarlac, P11.21-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project – Stage II (JRMP-II) in Iloilo, P5.444-billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project - Stage II (MMIP-II) in North Cotabato, P3.134-billion National Irrigation System Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP) with 11 irrigation projects nationwide, P3.5-billion Lower Agno River Irrigation System Improvement Project (LARISIP) in Pangasinan, and P4.372-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (CRPIP) in Kalinga to bring efficient,…...