BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III was right to defend the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project – Phase II (JRMP-II) in Calinog, Iloilo, said Sen. Franklin Drilon.
“It will benefit farmers in Iloilo and irrigate 32,000 hectares of farmland, and provide 85,000 cubic meters of water per day to the Ilonggos,” the Senate president said.
The President branded as anti-farmers those opposing the mega dam project during his State of the Nation Address on July 28.
JRMP-II is actually a long-delayed project, said Drilon.
It is mandated by Republic Act 2651 way back in 1960 but due to lack of funds, it never materialized.
“It is only during (President Aquino’s) term that this is being implemented,” said a “happy” Drilon.
The senator from Iloilo said he could not understand the opposition to the project.
The President said the mega dam will fulfill the Ilonggo farmers’ aspiration for a better irrigation system and slammed “noisy” critics for trying to delay it.
For his part, Iloilo City’s Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said Ilonggos will benefit from what will become the biggest dam outside Luzon when completed.
“The critics got it all wrong,” said Iloilo City’s Cong. Jerry Treñas.
Drilon, a staunch supporter of Aquino, was instrumental in securing a P8.9-billion loan from South Korea to partly fund the project.
The government’s counterpart is P450 million. President Aquino said the money came from the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
The mega dam is also expected to increase by 10 percent the irrigated lands in Region 6, and the annual regional rice production by five percent, according to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), project implementer.
Engr. Gerardo Corsiga, NIA Region 6 regional manager and concurrent JRMP II project manager, said the agency has been very transparent regarding all funds allocated for the JRMP II.
The P450 million DAP funds were used for various preparatory civil works in Calinog, Iloilo, which included the construction of access roads and cross drainages along high line canal (P39.9 million), the repair and rehabilitation of Suague RIS Dam (P32.6 million), and the repair and rehabilitation of Santa Barbara RIS Dam, rechanneling of Aganan River upstream of dam, the desilting and improvement of the main canal at Aganan River (P30.2 million), and repair and rehabilitation of Sibalom diversion works (P28.8 million).
The P450 million was also used for the improvement of irrigation facilities (P30.5 million), slope protection for Aganan RIS drainage outfall (P15 million), drainage improvement of canal outfall and rehabilitation of dam (P8.6 million), and rehabilitation of Mambog dam (P3 million).
Oppositors said the project is dangerous as it is near an active fault line.
But Corsiga said JRMP II is not within the fault line and is therefore safe from ground rupture, citing the opinion of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
JRMP II based on Phivolcs’ certification is 9.8 kilometers away from the West Panay Fault./PN
