MORE NEWS, KALINGA

Chico irrigation system slated for construction with P507 M WB loan

TABUK CITY – The repair of the Upper Chico River Irrigation System is expected to start soon with a P507 million loan from the World Bank.

Kalinga provincial irrigation management office OIC chief Alfredo De Guzman Jr. bared this saying signing of the agreement between the WB and the Philippine government is expected this last quarter.

He said work will be carried out until 2010, adding that the four-year repair of UCRIS will be jointly implemented by National Irrigation Administration and K-PIMO.

“The project is necessary in order to restore the system to its highest operational capacity and to support food security in the region,” De Guzman said.

He added hundreds of farmers particularly in Tabuk depend on UCRIS for their irrigation needs.
He said since its initial operation in 1986, no major repair had been undertaken on the irrigation system.

De Guzman said to maintain the status of Tabuk as the rice granary of the Cordillera and establish farming as a permanent source of livelihood of farmers, support facilities on agriculture must also be maintained.

The area irrigated by the system in Tabuk area alone is 9,057 and 9,083 hectares for the dry and wet seasons respectively out of the 17,551 hectares total irrigable target area.

Of the total project cost, P378.6 million will be spent on civil works with P218.4 million allotted for improvement of the canal system; P93.1 million on diversion works; P36.1 million on drainage facilities; P11.7 million on canal service roads, P15.7 million for farm level facilities and P3.5 million for project facilities.

De Guzman said civil works aspects of the repair project include the construction of a dam operation bridge at the main dam and replacement of damaged and deteriorating parts of the sluiceway and intake gates.

It will also improve canal lining and upgrade canal embankment of selected sections of the main system and laterals. To improve the drainage system, the Chico siphon protection and outlet will be constructed together with settling basins along the Tuga-Gobgob main canal.

Major service roads will also be graveled alongside with the modification of turnouts and restoration of main farm ditches to upgrade farm level facilities.

The project has also an institutional component for the strengthening of Irrigators Associations and support of local government units, De Guzman said.

“Exactly P20.1 million would be spent from the whole development package for the training of IAs and LGU stakeholders for their participation on shared responsibilities,” he said.

Repair of the NIA-KPIMO main building and improvement of water master’s working stations will also be done.

The rehabilitation project is under Phase I of the Participatory Irrigation Development Project of the NIA. -- PIA


96 houses being built for Tabuk’s homeless
TABUK CITY – Gawad Kalinga is constructing 96 houses for homeless Tabukeños at Agbannawag, the gateway barangay to this city.

Dubbed ANCOP-Canada-Matagoan Gawad Kalinga Community Village, it is the first housing project in the province participated in by the Couples for Christ, the local governments of Tabuk and Agbannawag, and ANCOP-Canada.

Sponsoring stakeholders met last week at the project site to witness the blessing and laying of the cornerstone.

This coincided with the birthday of city mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr, GK Minister, who is now on vacation in Canada .

In his message, OIC City Mayor Rainier Sarol thanked volunteer members of Gawad Kalinga and assured the group of the City’s continuing support for the project.

“LGU Tabuk always supports joint government-private sector endeavors. In this particular project, we are looking for its expansion,” he said.

The city government donated 3.1 hectares from the municipal park at Agbannawag for the project and allocated a total of P650,000.00 for site development.

Sarol said the project is not only for members of the Couples for Christ but for homeless families regardless of their religious affiliation and ethnic membership. “This is a project for and of the people of Tabuk,” he said.

He said the Sangguniang Bayan has seen the good concept of this project the reason of its full support hoping it will be replicated in other barangays.

City information officer Oliver Gacuya said the SB passed a resolution on Oct. 3, 2005 authorizing the mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with GK Kalinga Community Development Foundation Inc.

He said Res. No. 234 was also passed donating 31,491 square meters from the municipal park reservations located at Agbannawag as site of GK housing.

In 2006, LGU-Tabuk allocated the amount of P350,000or site development of which P18,875.00 was spent for fencing, he said.

He said the LGU allocated this year P300,000 for further site development and validation of beneficiaries by the City Social Welfare and Development.

Last Sept. 7, CFC–GK Northern Luzon Director Elmer Cadiz visited the site to launch the ANCOP-Canada Matagoan GK housing village.

The project requires beneficiaries to render free labor counterpart for the construction. Line agencies were also urged to help like the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources to designate a community forest, Dept. of Agriculture for a common garden and Dept. of Agrarian Reform to provide crop lands.

Joseph Aguilar, CFC team leader for Kalinga said the vision of GK was to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years.

He said there were 245 GK sites all over the country. GK is counting on one million volunteers to help. -- PIA