MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez has underscored the importance of irrigation to farmers and their livelihood, garnering appreciation from farmers and irrigators.
Romualdez gave this message at the Nationwide Irrigation Administration-Irrigators Association Congress in Batangas last Wednesday.
“Hindi na po kailangang ipaliwanag pa kung gaano kahalaga ang papel ng patubig sa buhay ng magsasaka. Kung walang patubig, walang ani. Kung walang ani, walang pagkain sa hapag ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Romualdez said, as quoted in a statement.
(We don’t need to explain the importance of irrigation on the lives of farmers. If there is no irrigation, there are no crops. If there are no crops, there will be no food on the table of every Filipino family.)
Romualdez also said that the House of Representatives is committed to ensure support for expansion and sufficient funding for irrigation projects. He said that this is aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal to boost agricultural production and food security.
Many farmers and irrigators present in the conference expressed their gratitude to Romualdez’s support for irrigation projects, including the solar-powered pump irrigation projects (SPIPs). The SPIPs are initiatives by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to improve the country’s irrigation system and food security.
“With this irrigation project in Balingasag, water was made readily available, and our livelihood has greatly improved,” said Rizalinda Cagalawan, a farmer-irrigator, in the same statement.
NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen echoed the appreciation of the farmers and irrigators, adding that Romualdez’s “commitment uplifts our agency and the lives of countless rural communities who rely on irrigation and agriculture for their future.”
Guillen also noted that SPIPs are cost efficient, only requiring about P200,000 to P300,000 to supply water per hectare, compared to the traditional modes amounting to P1.2 million.
Source: Romualdez underscores importance of irrigation to farmers
