NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel ventured into mini hydro power plants in NIA irrigation canals. This idea prop up to Administrator Nangel’s mind after attending a seminar in Japan on climate change. During the seminar, the participants were brought to Kanazawa prefecture where they were shown mini hydro power plants in irrigation canals. He said that NIA has many irrigation canals of the same nature, and if it can be done in Japan, it could also be done in the Philippines.
From then on, there is no turning back for Administrator Nangel. He created a Technical Working Group to spearhead the program. Inventories of irrigation canals with potential for mini hydro power plants were conducted in all NIA irrigation canals. To date, there are about 110 potential sites nationwide.
This program was brought up to JICA who in turn responded and decided to conduct a Preparatory Survey for Mini-Hydropower Development Project in the Philippines. Meetings between NIA and JICA ensued until a Minutes of Discussion was completed and agreed upon. Hence, on July 31, 2012, NIA and JICA signed the Minutes of Discussion as a signal to proceed with the preliminary survey.
The blueprint for the project is set from 2012 to the first quarter of 2015. But Administrator Nangel requested that the project should be completed by 2014. The project will be on a pilot basis and it will be done in Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS) in Isabela. The other project is in Ifugao, which will be owned by the LGU of Ifugao.
The composite team from NIA and JICA is already in Isabela to start with the preliminary survey.
