ILOILO – The groundbreaking for the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II (JRMP II) in the municipality of Calinog is on Oct. 4
It will finally happen a month after the signing of the construction contract on Sept. 3 at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Complex in Quezon City.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. said the dam would improve agricultural production in the province.
President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited to lead the groundbreaking, said Defensor, although there has been no confirmation yet from the Palace if the country’s chief executive has accepted it.
Once completed, this large-scale reservoir dam will ensure farmers with a consistent third cropping each year, said Defensor.
JRMP II, said to be the biggest dam outside Luzon, will provide uninterrupted irrigation water supply to 32,000 hectares of Iloilo farmland, benefit more than 783,000 farmers and increase annual production of rice to 300,000 metric tons from 140,000.
Sen. Franklin Drilon will be among the special guests at the groundbreaking, said Defensor.
Drilon initiated the project in April 2011 when he met with the Korean government for the funding requirement.
JRMP II includes the construction of 109-meter Jalaur high dam; a 38.5-meter afterbay dam; a 10-meter Alibunan catch dam; a 80.74-kilometer high line canal; generation of new areas for irrigation; and rehabilitation of existing irrigation system.
The contract signing last week was between the National Irrigation Administration, the project’s implementing agency, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd., the contractor.
The project will also generate approximately 17,000 local jobs equivalent to P1.3 billion in basic wages per year./PN
