BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO – The construction of the Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project (JRMP) II is on track toward its target completion date of December 2023.
According to National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 information officer Steve Cordero, the overall physical accomplishment of the Jalaur dam project as of August 2022 is 54.36 percent.
NIA is the government agency overseeing the mega dam project.
“We are confident that by December 2023 matigayon nga matapos ini,” Cordero told Panay News.
JRMP II includes the construction of 109-meter Jalaur high dam, 38.5-meter afterbay dam, 10-meter Alibunan catch dam, 80.74-kilometer high line canal; generation of new areas for irrigation; and rehabilitation of the existing irrigation system.
The high dam is now 46.1 meters high while the afterbay dam is at 28 meters high.
According to Cordero, the construction is going well and there are no major issues troubling it except for the bad weather.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is regularly monitoring and inspecting the project to ensure that environmental laws and policies are followed, Cordero added.
JRMP II is NIA’s biggest irrigation development project in Region 6 to date.
Aside from the EMB, the Environmental and Social Monitoring Team of the Korean Export-Import Bank – Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEXIM-EDCF) is also regularly checking on the project.
KEXIM is funding the P11.2-billion mega dam’s construction.
Former senator Franklin Drilon, who championed the construction of the project, said its completion will boost the country’s food security and address declining agricultural productivity. It is seen to provide the critical support needed by Iloilo farmers and the agriculture sector to improve yield.
The dam is projected to increase annual production of rice in Iloilo to 300,000 metric tons from 140,000 metric tons. It could likewise expand the production areas of sugarcane and other crops.
“Its immediate completion will play a crucial role in the Marcos administration’s commitment to stabilize the food supply and improve food production,” said Drilon./PN
