MANILA — As he presided over the opening of the recently restored Mahayag Dam in Zamboanga del Sur, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged to assist farmers by offering cutting-edge technologies and irrigation development projects.
According to Marcos, the project is anticipated to enhance irrigation, water diversion, and other agricultural projects in the area. He pointed out that the restored dam would aid in flood mitigation in Zamboanga del Sur in addition to agriculture. Marcos estimates that the project will benefit about 3,100 farmers.
The Salug River Irrigation System, the biggest national irrigation system in the whole Zamboanga Peninsula, has long relied on the Mahayag Dam, which was first constructed in 1967. More than 8,102.58 hectares of cropland are served by it; the Mahayag Dam serves 5,044.28 hectares.
Severe flooding in late 2022 and early 2023 severely damaged the building, causing it to partially collapse and imperil irrigation services and nearby communities.
Marcos said, “Kaya po ito’y magandang halimbawa sa ating sinasabi na ‘Build, Better, and More’. Kaya po ay hindi lamang basta’t tinayo ‘yung dati, kundi pinaganda pa, pinatibay pa, pinalaki pa.”
Additionally, Marcos said that 635 farmers in the area received 20 solar-powered pump irrigation projects (SPIPs), which will increase local irrigation through the use of clean, alternative energy.
The chief executive added that P63 billion was allocated this year for the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) various irrigation programs, P300 billion for agriculture-related programs and projects, P33 billion for farm-to-market roads, and P31 million for small-scale irrigation projects.
Under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the president promised to give priority to provinces that produce rice, corn, and other high-value crops, as well as regions with the greatest number of farmers.
He reassured them, “Higit sa lahat, tinututukan natin ang mga rehiyon kung saan marami sa mga magsasaka ang higit na nangangailangan.”
