President Marcos lauds P100 million solar pump irrigation in Ormoc

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday inspected the largest solar pump irrigation project of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Eastern Visayas as part of his administration’s efforts to tap renewable energy in modernizing agriculture and boosting food security.

The P100-million R.M. Tan Solar Pump Irrigation Project in Ormoc City was designed to irrigate 100 hectares of farmland for two cropping seasons each year to enhance agricultural productivity and raise the income of farming households. It has seven units of 10-horsepower capacity solar-powered pumps across two sites.

Ninety-two farmers and their families are benefiting from the irrigation system, which was completed on Oct. 15 last year.

Present during the inspection were NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen, NIA Integrated Management Office for Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur manager Conrado Samson, personnel from the agency’s central and regional offices, officers of the R.M. Tan Irrigators Association and farmer-beneficiaries.

The Ormoc project is in line with the government’s aim to develop similar solar-powered irrigation systems and to provide assistance to farmers.

The solar pump irrigation project inspection was Marcos’ first event during his visit to Leyte province, where he also distributed 124 patient transport vehicles of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to local governments and visited the Eastern Visayas Medical Center.