ILOILO City – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 is optimistic that the construction of the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP), the largest irrigation development in Western Visayas, will begin in 2025.
It is poised to be a game-changer for Western Visayas, promising improved irrigation, power generation, and flood control in Capiz once completed.
NIA Region 6 acting manager Engr. Jonel Borres revealed that over 91 percent of the project’s feasibility study, conducted by NIA’s Central Office, is already completed.
“We are targeting to begin construction next year. We are currently expediting the process and pushing for the necessary permits,” Borres stated.
The PRBIDP, located in Tapaz, Capiz, is projected to provide year-round water irrigation to 26,800 hectares of farmland, benefiting approximately 25,046 farmers across Capiz and parts of Iloilo.
Municipalities expected to benefit include Maayon, Panay, Panit-an, Pontevedra, Roxas City, Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Jamindan, Mambusao, Sigma, and Tapaz in Capiz, and Bingawan, Lemery, and San Rafael in Iloilo.
In addition to irrigation, the project will also generate 18.42 megawatts of hydroelectric power and allocate three cubic meters per second of bulk water to Roxas City and nearby municipalities.
The dam is also expected to significantly mitigate flooding in the province.
The overall goal of the project is to contribute to the region’s rice self-sufficiency and support the country’s rice production targets under the updated Food Staples-Sufficiency Roadmap.
Specific objectives include:
* allocating three cubic meters per second of bulk water to Roxas City and nearby municipalities
* reducing flooding in the Panay River sub-basins
* providing year-round water supply to 26,800 hectares of farmland, supporting 25,046 farmers
* generating 18.42 megawatts of hydroelectric power
Borres said discussions with NIA-Central’s Engineering Department are ongoing to update the project’s cost estimates.
The initial cost of the project, set in 2018, was P20.786 billion. However, due to inflation and the time elapsed, the total cost is expected to increase, potentially surpassing the P19.698 billion Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II in Calinog, Iloilo.
“We are revising the program and costing. The original estimate in 2018 was over P20 billion, but costs are expected to rise given the years that have passed,” Borres added.
NIA-Central is pushing for a “design and build scheme” to expedite the construction process. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), this approach allows a single contract for both the architectural/engineering design and construction, awarded to a single firm or joint venture.
The main components of the PRBIDP include:
* a 102-meter-high dam with a reservoir capacity of 267.77 million cubic meters
* a 34-meter afterbay dam with a 29.72 million cubic meter capacity
* a highline canal system, including an 80-kilometer Panay right highline canal, a 24.3-kilometer augmentation highline canal, and a 54-kilometer Mambusao highline canal
* a 320-kilometer service road
* an 18.42-megawatt hydropower penstock
* bulk water supply drop-off points with a three-cubic-meter-per-second capacity/PN
