The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will utilize its machineries and equipment to help repair irrigation systems that were affected by the recent onslaught of Typhoon "Yolanda" that occurred last November 2013. The use of the said equipment is part of NIA's on-going efforts to restore irrigation services to avert further damage to crops.
NIA Administrator Claro V. Maranan reported that he had made an inventory of the agency's equipment and found that the agency has 95 heavy equipment and 88 light equipment that can be used for repairs and were sent to the affected areas (Region 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 13).
As of November 22, 2013, the agency's latest summary report indicates cost of damages to facilities in the affected regions was estimated at P545,693,782 while crop damages was estimated at P463,624,981.
Apart from the use of its equipment, the Administrator further reports that NIA plans to allocate P140,000,000 from its 2014 budget for the Irrigation sites, specially those who are always hit by typhoons.
Further, employees of the agency were also mobilized to raise relief goods by donating goods such as food, clothing, blankets and other materials last November 11, 2013. NIA Public Affairs and Information Staff (PAIS) head Ms. Pilipina P. Bermudez reported that the donated goods for NIA-Region VII have been loaded to state trucks coming from MARIIS, CAR and Region III and delivered to Tacloban last Saturday. The trucks left at 3:00 am Sunday and arrived at Naga City at 2:00 pm, their first stop over.
The trucks later travelled to Albay to rendezvous with the stake truck coming from Project Manager Estelita S. Sumile of HCAAP-Northern Samar. That will carry construction materials that were bought in the area. The use of the relief trucks were ferried free via Bulan going to Tacloban where it would be met NIA regional employees.
Initially, donations remitted to the Central Office were released to NIA Region VI amounting to P200,000 while P300,000 was released to NIA Region V to take charge in the purchase of construction materials and other utilities that people need in Region VIII. She further states that Administrator Maranan advised that it will be a continuing endeavor until they are able to recover from damage caused by Yolanda.
Apart from the progress made in the relied effort, the Administrator added that NIA is currently finalizing proposal to be submitted to the World Bank Mission funding the Participatory Irrigation development Project (PIDP) to realign the amount of $10,000,000 to address the facilities that were damaged by the typhoon. He further stated that World Bank has rated the agency Satisfactory for showing great improvement in the implementation of PIDP projects.
