LINGAYEN – Pangasinan can expect before the year ends some P65 million in fresh funds for the repair of irrigation systems and projects, newly appointed Irrigation Administrator Arturo C. Lomibao said Friday.

Lomibao was in town to receive a formal recognition from the provincial board for his appointment as National Irrigation Administration head.

The funds will be apportioned per district, he said.

Coming from Congress at about 3:30a.m. where he defended the 2007 budget of the NIA, Lomibao went straight to the sangguniang panlalawigan session hall.

He explained the fund is over and above the other issuances or support to the other districts of the province

Lomibao said District 1 will be having a P3 million, District 2 will have P3.7 million, Districts 3 and 4 will have P9 million each, P5.8 million will go to District 5.

Meanwhile, P150 million will go to District 6 and the other districts comprising the area covered by the ARIIP or Agno River Irrigation Integrated Project.

“Let me just mention that before 2006, the province of Pangasinan has not had adequate funds for the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation systems. But as your administrator and being a son of Pangasinan, I saw to it that some of my discretionary funds as administrator will be given to the province. Lomibao remarked.

Upon his assumption to the position, Lomibao had said there are 3 million hectares of irrigable lands all over the country. Of which, 1.4 million or 45% are already irrigated.

“Meron pang 1.6 million na dapat i-irrigate. The cost of construction is about P150,000 to P200,000 per hectare. We need P320 billion to construct new irrigation system,” Lomibao explained.

“The thrust of NIA now is to rehabilitate the existing irrigation projects which needs repair. Thirty percent (30%) of the irrigation projects needs rehabilitation. We need about P50 million for rehabilitation alone,” he further stated.

In his acceptance speech last Friday, Lomibao admitted that he was surprised about his appijtment to the NIA, “for a simple reason that I’m not an engineer.”
“ This is my first time to be in civilian service. But I accepted the position simply because I think I can serve the farmers, the greater majority of our people in a capacity which is not given to other people or other Filipinos,”the retired police officer said.