ONE GOOD news last week was that work on the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II (JRMP II) will finally start this month, implementing the contract signed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) way back in September 2018 with the contractor, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. of South Korea.
Because of our shortage in rice supply, much is expected from JRMP II which is scheduled to be completed by September 2022 or about three and a half years from now.
The project will irrigate 32,000 hectares of riceland in 22 municipalities and two cities in Iloilo. With irrigation, we are expected to double our rice production to as much as 300,000 metric tons per year.
We should be thankful to Ilonggo senator Franklin M. Drilon, Senate minority floor leader, who personally followed up this project from its inception and worked out its funding by going to South Korea in April 2011. It was approved for financing by the Korean government with a loan extended through the Export-Import Bank’s Economic Cooperation Fund of P8.9 billion and with the Philippine counterpart of P2.2 billion.
It is the biggest loan extended by the Korean government for a single project worldwide at an interest rate of only 0.015 percent, the lowest loan rate ever extended by Korea, according to Senator Drilon.
The project will also bring bulk water supply, hydroelectric power and eco-tourism opportunities to Iloilo.
In our previous week’s column, we said that with the open importation of rice under the new tariff law passed by Congress and approved by the President, landowners might give up rice farming and sell their land for other uses. However, with this new irrigation system for Iloilo when finished, there is good reason for farmers to reconsider holding on to their rice farm and refuse the temptation of land conversion for other uses. This new irrigation system is a game changer to the economy of our province and the rice industry.
As we said in our first article on this irrigation project in September 2018 Iloilo can regain its title as the “Food Basket and Rice Granary of the Philippines” with this new irrigation system for its farmers starting in 2022.
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Historical Quote of the Week
”Iloilo is the first city in the country to install a free education program in its elementary and secondary level, eliminating matriculation and tuition fees, plus free school supplies.” (For comments or re-actions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
