ILOILO City – The House of Representatives will provide the necessary funds to ensure the completion of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in Calinog, Iloilo, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez assured the people of Iloilo.
“We will make sure that this irrigation system is completed as part of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s program to ensure that there is food, at least the basic staple rice, on every Filipino household’s table,” Romualdez said.
JRMP II is envisioned to provide irrigation water to farmers, particularly in rice-producing areas.
Iloilo is one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country.
“We will also assist our farmers with other inputs, such as seeds, fertilizer, and farm equipment, and help them in marketing their produce by building farm-to-market roads,” said Romualdez.
Romualdez made the pledge in front of nearly 1,000 farmers and fisherfolk during a town hall meeting held at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center – Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, Iloilo, on Thursday afternoon, April 25.
During the meeting, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 provided updates on the construction of the JRMP II.
The construction of irrigation systems, Romualdez added, is critical, especially during the current El Niño phenomenon-extended dry season.
COMPLETION ON TRACK
According to Flordalie Padillo, information officer of JRMP II, the project construction is 74.31 percent complete as of March 2024.
“The construction of the project’s three dams, including the 109-meter Jalaur High Dam which serves as the impounding dam, is complete. Currently, construction activities are focused on the irrigation component of the project, including the 80-kilometer High Line Canal covering nine municipalities in the province of Iloilo,” Padillo added.
The mega dam is expected to increase rice production in Iloilo and provide water and electricity to the province and its capital, Iloilo City.
“JRMP II is one of the 194 infrastructure projects under President Marcos Jr.’s ‘Build Better More’ program and is expected to increase Iloilo’s rice production up to 338,874 metric tons per year, which is equivalent to a 71% increase from the current production rate,” said Padillo.
MORE BENEFITS
The project is also expected to generate 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power, supply 86 million liters of bulk water daily to Iloilo City and nearby areas, and open opportunities for eco-tourism, among other benefits.
A selection committee of the NIA is currently evaluating lease proposals for the bulk water and electricity supply that would come from the Jalaur River multipurpose dam.
The multipurpose dam would also support other livelihood projects by early 2026, such as inland fishery, eco-cultural tourism, and additional renewable energy through a floating solar power farm.
Romualdez visited Tigbauan to campaign with his congressional colleagues for the passage of the Farm-to-Market Road Development Plan Bill. Together with Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda, Uswag Ilonggo party-list’s Cong. James “Jojo” Ang, Cong. Raul “Boboy” Tupas, and Cong. Janette Garin, Romualdez signed a commitment wall to show support for the bill./PN
