ROXAS City – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said the P20.786-billion Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) will push through in Capiz province and some parts of Iloilo province.
The PRBIDP is among the three to five large dams that the Marcos administration is eyeing to build by the end of his term in 2028, according to NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen.
The general objective of the project is to ensure that the region is rice self-sufficient and will significantly contribute to the attainment of the country’s rice production.
A reservoir or a high dam will be built in Barangay Acuna and an afterbay dam in Barangay Garcia, both in Tapaz town, viewed to potentially create 13,950 hectares of new irrigable areas adding to the existing 12,850 hectares in the PRDIDP service areas.
The PRBIDP will cover the city of Roxas and the surrounding towns of Maayon, Panay, Panitan, Pontevedra, Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Jamindan, Mambusao, Sigma, and Tapaz.
It will also benefit the towns of Bingawan, Lemery, and San Rafael in Iloilo.
NIA said the project aims to provide a year-round water supply to 26,800 hectares in the province of Capiz and parts of Iloilo set to benefit at least 25,046 farmers.
Aklan-Capiz Irrigation Management Office’s Engr. Rudy Sapeda said that 9,378 indigenous people households from Tapaz and Jamindan towns will also benefit from the project.
“During the pre-construction activities of the PRBIDP, the NIA committed with the IP community to conduct Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the construction and graveling of roads, a hanging bridge, and a potable water system,” Sapeda added.
Capiz’s Gov. Fredenil Castro, in a first quarter Multi-Partite Monitoring Team meeting to discuss the implementation of the PRBIDP in the province, said the provincial government will spearhead the monitoring of the project.
NIA Acting Regional Manager Jonel Borres, meanwhile, highlighted President Marcos’ and Guillen’s active support for PRBIDP implementation, making it a priority project in the region.
“With the unwavering dedication and joint effort, the PRBIDP may become an example of integrated water resource management and environmental protection for future generations,” Borres noted. (PIA Capiz)/PN
