NIA sets limits for free irrigation

MANILA, Philippines — Free irrigation may have limits starting next year as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) starts to implement the adjustments made by Congress.

NIA administrator Ricardo Visaya said amendments to the agency’s charter may be passed next year, which includes the restrictions of the coverage of the free irrigation scheme.

“During the bicameral meeting, they (House and Senate) settled the issue. Originally, the Lower House version is free irrigation service fee (ISF) for all while in the Senate, only those owning five hectares and below will be exempted,” Visaya told reporters on the sidelines of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction forum Friday.

“They settled at eight hectares. It’s not really free for all. What is important is our small farmers will benefit,” he added.

While free irrigation has officially commenced during the second quarter, NIA has already stopped collection since January following the pronouncement of President Duterte.

NIA’s charter will have to be amended to implement the changes as under the current law, it is still required to collect ISF amounting to about P2 billion annually for employees’ salaries and allowances, as well as funding for operations and maintenance of existing irrigation systems.

Visaya is optimistic the law will be approved by next year.

“Once the law has been passed, we will implement that, then we will start collecting from those areas that are above eight hectares,” he said.

“I think the (amended) charter will be implemented next year. The Lower and Upper Houses were able to settle already, even the back accounts,” Visaya added.

While the NIA chief admitted there might be stakeholders who will contest the implementation, Visaya said they will just follow the law.

“We will have a stakeholders’ meeting, we will discuss with them. But, we will just abide with the law. The Senate said it is not possible to have everything for free, those big plantations should still pay,” he said.

The Philippines has an estimated irrigable area of 3.12 million hectares of agricultural lands, while NIA has so far developed 1.85 million hectares or about 59 percent of total.

This year, NIA is set to develop 23,115 hectares of new areas and restore 13,507 hectares.

By the end of the Duterte administration, the agency targets to fully irrigate the remaining 41 percent of the country’s agricultural lands.