THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has proposed the construction of a new dam at Toboy river flowing into Binalonan town to make use of its excess water for irrigation purposes rather than just let this flow towards central Pangasinan and cause flood there.
The proposal was made by Reynaldo Mencias, designated project manager of the P7.8 billion upcoming Agno Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP), noting that it is the water from the Toboy river that is flooding central Pangasinan.

He said to stop the flooding in Binalonan, Urdaneta, Sta. Barbara, Calasiao and Dagupan City, a new dam must be built along the Toboy river, similar to the San Roque dam that is now preventing floods in municipalities along the bank of the Agno river.
“We will make a separate proposal (from existing ARIIP’s proposal) so that probably in the future this will become another irrigation project in Pangasinan,” Mencias said.
ARIIP alone is set to cost P7.8 billion to be funded by a combination of foreign loan and local fund, at least P5.8 billion will be sourced out from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation and P2 billion from the yearly national appropriations till 2011.
Mencias backed the explanations of officials of the San Roque Power Corporation that the water flooding Dagupan City is coming from Toboy riber aggravated by water coming from the Bued river.
Antonio Lamsen, assistant operations division chief of NIA Region 1 said during the flood season, the gates of the NIA weir just down San Roque dam are closed, ensuring that no water from the Agno river is flowing through it to flood central Pangasinan.
Tom Valdez, spokesman of San Roque Power Corporation, earlier said that even if the NIA weir is open, the irrigation water that it conveys to the farms is not enough to cause flood in central Pangasinan.
ARIIP is one of the identified mega-infrastructure project to be constructed to spur the growth of the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle as food basket not only for the country but also North Asia. (PNA)