Governor Corazon Malanyaon is making no delays in pursuing the ongoing development of her cherished province of Davao Oriental in her mission to bolster and reinvigorate the province’s agricultural industry. Together with some members of the Provincial Development Council, the Governor spoke with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) – Davao Oriental Provincial Office’s Acting Division Manager, Engr. Gil Valdes, Atty. Reyman Delos Santos and their working committee to discuss immediate concerns about the province’s upcoming irrigation projects.
The discussion on Aragon Dam in Cateel, Davao Oriental, a major irrigation project that Governor Malanyaon spearheaded during her former tenure as provincial Governor, was the meeting’s highlight.
The Provincial Government and National Irrigation Administration have held numerous discussions regarding future Aragon Dam development plans.
For the annexation of the dam’s management under the National Irrigation Administration, ongoing studies are still being conducted, and a Memorandum of Agreement is being drafted between the two parties. Governor Malanyaon anticipates that this process will be completed before the end of January 2023. With this deliberate strategy, Aragon Dam is anticipated to undergo additional rehabilitation and expansion projects to be more functional and offer outstanding service to more farmers in the area.
The rehabilitation plans for Aragon Dam, which would begin the next year with a target execution period of 2024 to 2029, will cost P100 million, according to the budget that NIA revealed during the meeting.
“I am hopeful that this project will be sustained. This (Aragon Dam) is a monument of our determination that is why we should really see to it that this historic project continues its development in the service of the people of Davao Oriental,” Governor Malanyaon stressed.
Furthermore, the Governor also plans to talk to various irrigators, farmers, and other stakeholders of Aragon Dam to further see to it that the development addresses their vital concerns and that all other challenges at their level are given appropriate resolutions.
The NIA Davao Oriental team also presented the budgetary allotment for their organization for 2023–2024, as well as several projects that have been submitted and will be implemented in Davao Oriental. NIA said that 15 highly significant projects would be built in the municipalities of Boston, Cateel, Caraga, and Baganga in District 1, as well as in Lupon and Banaybanay in District 2. ʙʏ ꜰʀᴀɴᴄɪꜱ ᴊᴀʏ ᴍ. ʙᴜᴛᴜʟᴀɴ, ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏꜱ ʙʏ ᴍᴀʀᴋ ᴏʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴀʟᴠɪᴛᴇ
