ILOILO — South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-Hwa personally inspected the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in Calinog town on Saturday, January 24, underscoring South Korea’s continuing commitment to one of the Philippines’ largest irrigation and food-security projects.
Lee’s high-level site visit — his first since the project’s dam inauguration in July 2024 — highlighted JRMP II as a concrete outcome of long-standing diplomatic and development cooperation between South Korea and the Philippines, particularly in strengthening water and agricultural infrastructure outside Luzon.
During the inspection, the ambassador emphasized the depth of bilateral ties between the two countries and pointed to JRMP II as a landmark example of how international cooperation can drive inclusive development.
He said the JRMP II is an important project in its time, noting the South Korean government’s pride in supporting Iloilo’s long-term goals for food and water security.
The project is funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the South Korean government coursed through Korea EximBank, and is being implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Lee was accompanied by NIA regional manager and JRMP II Concurrent Project Manager Engr. Jonel Borres, Institutional Development Division officer-in-charge Steve Cordero, Contracts Administration chief Engr. Louie Agujitas, and Technical Assistant Ruth Cely Jamelo.
Officials from Daewoo E&C, the project contractor, were also present, led by Project Manager Sunggu Cha.
As of November 2025, JRMP II remains on schedule, with overall physical accomplishment reported at 82 percent.
Once completed, the project is expected to irrigate more than 30,000 hectares of farmland, benefiting an estimated 25,000 farmers and boosting Iloilo’s agricultural productivity amid recurring droughts and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
The JRMP was inaugurated on July 16, 2024, by Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has identified the project as a flagship component of his administration’s agricultural modernization and food security agenda./PN
