PIA Press Release
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Biggest irrigation project launched in Palawanby Vicky S. Mendoza PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, Jan. 17 (PIA) -- The Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Aborlan broke ground yesterday in a ceremony for a project that will become the most expensive irrigation project of the National Irrigation Administration in Palawan. With a project cost of P498 million, the Ibato-Iraan SRIP will benefit 425 farmers and irrigate 1,200 hectares, thus increasing agricultural productivity as well as developing eco-tourism and hydro-electric potentials of the covered areas. In an interview at the project site, National Irrigation Administrator Antonio S. Nangel said that the nationwide target was to irrigate about 250,000 hectares and the Ibato-Iraan component was part of that target areas. “The Aquino administration’s goal is rice sufficiency and NIA is helping farmers to achieve that by constructing more irrigation projects,” said Nangel. Nagel said five more projects will be constructed in Aborlan to generate a total of 2,500 hectares of service areas for that town alone. The project has two components – concrete dam 68.9 meters long and zoned earth-filled reservoir 30 meters in height. Apart from its primary purpose of irrigation, it may also be harnessed for tourism and energy source. “We will finish the project in three to four years’ time, and after that, the project can be developed as a park for tourism purpose. We also might look for partners to develop it as source of hydro-electric power,” he said. The Ibato-Iraan SRIP project will cover barangays Sagpangan, Iraan, and Isaub in the town of Aborlan located about 65 km south of this city. It has a population of approximately 28,000, about 90 percent of whom are farmers. (DOS/VSM/PIA-Palawan) | 
