NIA Administrator Florencio F. Padernal taking time out from his busy schedule in Central Office visited the Umayam River Irrigation Project (URIP) in NIA Caraga Region. URIP covers the municipalities of La Paz and Loreto, Agusan del Sur and was designed to provide sustainable development, increase agricultural production, uplift farmers' living condition, generate employment and encourage local business opportunities in the area. It aims to generate 6,729 hectares with 2,125 farmer beneficiaries. The project implementation started in CY2012 and targeted for completion in CY2015. It was undertaken by contract and force account works, with the total project cost of Php1, 474,072,000. The Administrator visited the site with Regional Manager Encarnacion S. Soriano, EOD Manager Engr. Constancio G. Bana-ay, Jr., Engr. Gregorio Y. Pang, Jr., URIP Project Manager, and contractor representatives, and discussed the quality and standards of the construction. Prior to the site inspection, URIP team presented the physical accomplishments of the project showing positive slippage for all packages. With the technical expertise of the Administrator, he shared the possible innovations/strategies to fast track the implementation, such as the installation of pre-cast structures. These actions assure the URIP beneficiaries that NIA is determined to implement its projects and irrigate the…...

Corn farmers in four barangays in San Isidro, Isabela can now shift to rice farming as the Patanad Diversion Dam and Patanad Pumping Station start to operate after years of waiting. This will eventually contribute in the National Irrigation Agency (NIA)'s efforts in increasing rice production in the country. The Patanad Diversion Dam, which was inaugurated on April 23, 2014, reuses water from Quitabayag Creek that traverses Barangay Patanad to irrigate 200 hectares of farmland that were previously used mostly for corn. The construction of the diversion dam sparked hope among corn farmers who wanted to shift to rice and to those with farmlands in elevated areas.Patanad Diversion Dam in Barangay Patanad, San Isidro, Isabela. The diversion dam reuses water from Quitabayag Creek that traverses Barangay Patanad to irrigate 200 hectares of farmland.Part of the project is the construction of the Patanad Pumping Station, which was opened on June 26, 2014, that would irrigate about 250 hectares in four barangays namely Patanad, Camarag, Gomez, and Doña Paulina. It started irrigating 115 hectares of rice land for wet crop 2014 and the rest of the benefitted area will be irrigated on the next cropping season once lands have been converted from…...

Roxas, Isabela - Despite the water supply challenge during the start of this cropping season, farmers in the NIA-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS) are now reaping their golden harvest.The Administrator strikes a pose at one of the display booths at the side of the Roxas Astrodome during the Rice Harvest Festival on September 12, 2014. (left to right) MARIIS-Division III Manager William B. Oppuer, NIA-Public Affairs and Information Staff Manager Pilipina P. Bermudez, MARIIS Administrative and Finance Manager Editha Valledor Daguio Morales, Roxas Mayor Benedict C. Calderon, and MARIIS Operations Manager Mariano G. Dancel.Administrator Florencio F. Padernal, together with MARIIS Operations Manager Mariano G. Dancel and Isabela Governor Faustino "Bojie" G. Dy, led the ceremonial harvest on a rice farm under the North East Siffu Council of Irrigators Association here on September 12, 2014. About 117,000 metric tons of palay have been harvested from 23,000 hectares of rice lands in the System. Engr. Dancel proudly shared that MARIIS is the first to harvest palay for this cropping season.Administrator Florencio F. Padernal, MARIIS Operations Manager Mariano G. Dancel, and Isabela Governor Faustino "Bojie" G. Dy III ride a combined harvester-thresher, leading the rice harvest festival in Roxas, Isabela on September…...

The Local executives (Sangguniang Bayan and Liga ng mga Barangay Officials) of San Jose, Tarlac share the same conviction that Tarlac Province can only achieve meaningful, sustainable, and substantial development if the Balog-Balog Dam is constructed. They will be drafting a joint resolution expressing their full support of the project and will be seeking the confirmation and approval of President Benigno S. Aquino for its immediate implementation thru Sec. Kiko N. Pangilinan, PAFSAM and NIA Administrator Florencio F. Padernal. The project will bring about enormous benefits not only in the agricultural and economic sectors but also in the environment. With its impact in the agricultural and economic development for Tarlac Province, every Tarlaque?o has now all the reasons to see its long awaited construction. This is the result of the untiring efforts of Project Manager Dexter G. Patrocinio and BBMP Staff in presenting to LGU executives the components and benefits of the project and encouraging discussion on the proposed irrigation scheme for the San Jose upland communities near the damsite. Series of presentation were done during the San Jose Sangguniang Bayan Regular Session held at Brgy. Villa Aglipay, San Jose, Tarlac on August 26, 2014 and Joint-Session of the San…...

August 8, 2014 - (inset photo) Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM) Secretary Francis Pangilinan (3rd from L) and NIA Administrator Florencio F. Padernal (2nd from L) led the inauguration of the P4.3 B re-regulating pond in San Roque, San Miguel, Pangasinan under the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project. With them are (L-R) ABONO Chairman Rosendo So, Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino Jr., Pangasinan 6th District Representative Marlene Primicias-Agabas, and Region 1 FIA President Oftociano Manalo. The pond (background), which can store up to 5 M cubic meters of water, serves as the catch basin of water released from San Roque Multipurpose Dam. When fully operational, the facility will irrigate about 34,450 hectares benefitting 28,207 farmers to seventeen (17) municipalities and one city and in four Congressional Districts in the Province of Pangasinan....