Nearly nine years after its completion, the Cateel Irrigation Project, Mindanao’s biggest irrigation project implemented by the provincial government of Davao Oriental and funded under the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), is set to be turned over to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
The provincial government decided to turn over the project and its management to NIA to help maximize the dam’s operation and support the province’s efforts to boost rice sufficiency.
Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon said that with NIA having sufficient funds and technical expertise to maintain the dam, the provincial government is confident that the facility will function to its maximum for the benefit of the local farmers. “The full operation of the dam is critical to the province’s goal of achieving food security through rice sufficiency,” the Governor stressed.
She said that while it is “hard to let it go” since it was her legacy project, there is an urgency to turn over its management to the agency due to the province’s current financial challenges.
This year, the province will suffer a whopping P400 million in budget cuts from its share of the national income due to the recent pandemic. Moreover, the fund allocation required for the structure’s operation and maintenance was utilized for its construction from 2012 until 2014, considering the dam heavily suffered damages from the onslaught of Super typhoon Pablo in 2012 and Low-Pressure Area Agaton in 2014, which delayed its completion.
Moreover, according to the province’s technical team, the optimal economic life of the dam is only five years. It means that beyond that point, it requires bigger funds for major repairs and rehabilitation, justifying further the need for NIA to take over.
Meanwhile, based on the Tripartite Agreement with the DA and the NIA, the province’s supposed ten-year commitment to the operation and maintenance has already reached more than eight years, meaning there are only less than two years left in its obligation. “The remaining amount of operation and maintenance stipulated in the Implementation Management Agreement for less than two years is not sufficient to cover the needed repairs and rehabilitation of the structure,” said the Governor.
𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙋𝙊𝙉𝙎𝙀
The province’s bid to turn over the facility is being welcomed by the National Irrigation Administration. Atty. Reimann J. Delos Santos of NIA XI expressed his support for the proposed turnover as it will relieve the province’s burdens in its maintenance and operation.
Department of Agriculture Regional Director Abel James Monteagudo also fully supported the provincial government’s proposal, noting it as a commendable act in support of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s bid to boost food sufficiency in the country. “I think the (national government) would consider the proposed turn-over because they are bent on significantly increasing rice sufficiency. And delaying the repair and the turn-over would also delay everything,” he said.
Aside from the refinement of the agreement between the two agencies and the provincial government, a joint inspection of the facility will be conducted to assess its condition.
The Provincial Government assured the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration that the province undertook regular maintenance activities in the previous years and that the diversion dam, which is the main structure, still stands strong and sturdy.
However, while the left canal functions appropriately and provides irrigation water to several farmlands, the right main canal needs extensive repairs.
The Cateel Irrigation Project, or the Aragon Dam, was touted to serve 4,000 hectares of rice land. Due to damages to the right canal, it currently serves 1,600 hectares, contributing to the province’s current rice sufficiency of 59 percent. Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Edito Sumile said that once the dam is fully operational, the province can attain up to 92 percent rice sufficiency.
𝙇𝙀𝙂𝘼𝘾𝙔 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙅𝙀𝘾𝙏
Stemming from the Governor’s dream of stepping up the province’s food production while opening up more opportunities for local farmers, Governor Malanyaon, in her previous term as Governor, seized the opportunity presented by MRDP to avail the agency’s enormous funds for infra projects.
“This project is a part of my legacy. During my administration, we relentlessly braved the unknown and challenging reality of such a massive undertaking. We have succeeded, and it’s only proper to fully maximize its serviceability. Hence, we are committed to ensuring the structure’s continued operation by initiating interventions and extending assistance supporting the facility’s continued operations,” said Governor Malanyaon. ʙʏ ᴋᴀʀᴇɴ ʟᴏᴜ ᴅᴇʟᴏꜱᴏ | ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏꜱ ʙʏ ᴍᴀʀᴋ ᴏʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴀʟᴠɪᴛᴇ | ᴀᴇʀɪᴀʟ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ ʙʏ ᴇᴅᴇɴ ᴊʜᴀɴ ʟɪᴄᴀʏᴀɴ
