ILOILO – The contractor of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in Calinog town has been urged to expedite the completion of its irrigation components.
Former Senate President Franklin Drilon, who lobbied for this project since 2012 during the administration of then President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, emphasized to Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. the importance of meeting the 2025 deadline set by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 for the mega dam to become fully operational.
“I urge Daewoo to double-time so that the canals can be completed and hopefully we can really reach full operation even before the end of 2025,” said Drilon during a press conference held on Tuesday morning, after receiving an update from NIA-6 on the status of JRMP II.
JRMP II is seen to increase annual production of rice in Iloilo to 300,000 metric tons from 140,000 metric tons. It will likewise expand the production areas of sugarcane and other crops.
Drilon highlighted the ongoing construction delays on crucial irrigation components, such as high line canals and main and lateral canals.
“One of the issues I understand is the difficulty of Daewoo to complete these canals on schedule, causing delays. Therefore, I urge the contractor to sign up with local contractors because these canals and infrastructure works are not complicated, and local contractors can manage them with proper supervision,” Drilon said.
Steve Cordero, JRMP II watershed management chief and spokesperson, reported during the update that major works are now focused on the irrigation components, and the critical components of the project, including the Jalaur high dam, Afterbay dam, and Alibunan catchment dam, were substantially completed last year.
The Jalaur High Dam, which began impounding water on May 8, is located in Barangay Alcalaga and has a capacity to store 250 million cubic meters of water.
The Project Management Office (PMO) of JRMP II, along with Daewoo E&C, consultant Korea Rural Community (KRC), Saman Corp., and Dasan Consultants, recently held a ceremony to close the gates of the diversion tunnel, marking the start of water collection in preparation for the project’s operational phase.
Currently, the focus of Daewoo’s work includes completing the highline canal, which stands at 49 kilometers out of 80 kilometers, and the main-lateral canal, which is about 50 kilometers complete out of 80 kilometers.
These canals will serve as the main conveyance of water from the Afterbay dam to Tigbauan and will provide irrigation water to 9,500 farmers.
Drilon expressed hope that by the end of 2025, Zone 1, covering the municipalities of Calinog, part of Passi City, and Lambunao, could be supplied with irrigation water.
He reiterated the significance of JRMP II as the biggest project in the region; it is poised to alleviate the poverty of 25,000 farmers who stand to benefit from it.
“We do hope that NIA and Daewoo hurry up and prevent further delays so that we can benefit from this. It’s very important that we complete this project,” said Drilon./PN
