By DANNY O. SAGUN

URDANETA CITY - Lack of funds is the major concern facing the long-delayed irrigation regulating pond which is a major component of the San Roque Multi-Purpose dam in San Manuel town.

This was learned from Regional Director John Celeste of the National Irrigation Administration who said that the project needs at least P2.5 billion.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation reportedly backed out as financier of the project as a result of the killing of peasant leader Jose Doton from San Nicolas. Militant groups opposed to the project had strongly lobbied against the project prompting the financial institution to withdraw, it was learned.

He said he received reports that government is trying to attract other possible sources of funding like China.

The proposed budget for 2008 allocates some P250 million for the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP). It was not clear if the money will be used to start construction of the pond to be located some three kilometers downstream or to be used for the rehabilitation of existing irrigation canals or build new ones.

ARIIP is projected to irrigate about 35,000 hectares under Phase 1 and another 35,000 hectares under Phase 2 or a total of 70,000 hectares of ricelands in Pangasinan and Tarlac.

Proposed some 10 years ago, the irrigation component of the multi-purpose has yet to be implemented. Only the energy generation and flood mitigation parts of the project were realized.

The NIA pond, which was named as one of the priority projects of the Arroyo administration under the North Luzon Superregion program, can be realized with strong political will, observers said.

Meanwhile, engineer Helsy Bermudez, provincial irrigation officer, said that his office has tied up with the provincial government and municipalities concerned for the rehabilitation of damaged communal irrigation canals under the “Balikatan Sagip Patubig” program.

Bermudez’s office is concerned with communal or small irrigation systems, or those that can irrigate from two hectares to not more than 1,000 hectares. Big irrigation systems like those in San Fabian, Urdaneta City, Rosales and Tayug are being supervised by irrigation superintendents who directly report to the regional office, Bermudez clarified.

Farmers, who are organized into irrigators’ associations in every communal system in an area, are partners of NIA in maintaining the system, he told the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of the Philippine Information Agency over Radyo ng Bayan-DZMQ last Tuesday.

The deal is for farmers to pay NIA the cash value of 1.5 cavans of palay per hectare in 50 years or P10 per kilo which is the buying price of the National Food Authority.

He urged the farmers to pay their dues religiously as agreed upon.