SMALL RESERVOIR IRRIGATION PROJECT IMPACTS ON FARMERS' LIVES
NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel recently visited two Small Reservoir Irrigation Projects (SRIP) in Negros Oriental which he proved to be the turning point of the lives of the farmers in Zamboanguita and Dauin in the province. The Calango SRIP in Zamboanguita change the lives of the farmers as they attested that before, the people thereat could hardly afford to eat rice, saying that "they only eat rice when somebody in the family is sick". Completed in 2000, the project had since changed that outlook, saying, they can eat as many times they want. The SRIP enabled the farmers to plant rice at least twice a year and vegetables year round supplying nearby municipalities. With the introduction of organic technology by the Department of Agriculture, they have shifted from chemical to organic fertilizer which their Irrigators Association produced. They attest that organic fertilizer increased their yield to 100-120 cav per ha/cropping season.
In Dauin SRIP in the same province, where before, the whole service area of Dauin is purely cogon and scattered with large lava stones all over the place, the area is now beaming with ricefields planted with rice and other crops. One farmer, Mr. Godofredo Tabijon attested that his life improved a lot with the completion of the irrigation system. He plants vegetables, one of which is eggplant. He said that from his 6,000 sq.m. lot, his gross income is about P50,000.00 in three months. He uses organic fertilizer and does not use chemicals for pest and other plant diseases. He patiently picked out the insects and other destructive elements of plants. These irrigation systems were recently visited by NIA Administrator Nangel and he said that he is very pleased to gather first hand information from the farmers of the benefits they are getting from NIA projects. He said he is overwhelmed by the smiles shown in the face of the farmers attesting satisfaction in their lives brought about by the irrigation systems.