RDC to NIA: Get public consent on Abra-Ilocos irrigation project

BAGUIO CITY – Cordillera Regional Development Council members urged the National Irrigation Authority to get public consent and address issues before implementing the huge  Abra-Ilocos irrigation project affecting constituents of the Cordillera and Ilocos regions. 

Two CRDC committees raised issues about the project citing lessons learned from implementation of the Chico River Pump Irrigation project to address concerns on the proposed Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project (INISAIP) that will source water from the Abra River.

The infrastructure development committee and watershed and environmental management committees conducted separate meetings last month to get updates and give inputs on the project designed to benefit mostly Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

The National Irrigation Administration earlier met with Abra Provincial Development Council wherein Abra Gov. and RDC chairperson Joy Bernos raised the need to ensure project benefits shall be shared by host communities in Tineg, Abra.

Bernos said with benefits of irrigation in the Ilocos region and the inclusion of a hydroelectric turbine in the project, the province should also be compensated for the environmental services.

In the meeting of the RDC infrastructure committee, Bernos said the National Irrigation Authority must get the free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities.

Bernos requested changes to the project to benefit the province. Infrastructure committee co-chairman Peter Rey Bautista said host communities, where the water is coming from, must be consulted.

In the meeting of the RDC environment committee, members recalled the lessons learned from the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project where the RDC identified national policy issues.

One concern was that an Environmental Compliance Certificate was only issued where majority of the project area is located.

In this case, consultations were only initially done in Cagayan even if the source of the water for irrigation and the majority of the pump infrastructure is in Kalinga.

The NIA acknowledged this and committed to address concerns of all stakeholder communities even at the feasibility study stage.

The Cordillera regional development plan 2017-2022, said the Cordillera is the main contributor to the Luzon power grid and major source of irrigation for the nation’s most productive rice farming provinces.

With 13 major river basins, Cordillera is the Watershed Cradle of North Luzon.

The RDP also urged public-private partnerships in tapping the potential of the region to develop hydro-projects.-- NEDA-SPCAR