President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM), through the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), turned over P 1 billion worth of irrigation and rice processing projects to the Province of Ilocos Norte to support Ilokano farmers, on July 19.
PBBM inaugurated the Sulvec Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Pasuquin town. It is worth P 940.46 million, boasts a capacity of 1.063 million cubic meters of water and can irrigate over 700 hectares of agricultural land in 10 barangays. The irrigation project can benefit around 1,045 farmers and their families.
This is also seen to help with flood control, boost aquaculture, generate hydropower, and supply water to facilities. DA also released over 25,000 fingerlings in the site that locals could harvest for consumption or additional income.
Meanwhile, the Rice Processing System II, worth P 56.5 million, has been turned over to the Basi Multipurpose Cooperative in the municipality of Piddig. The system has two (2) 12-ton capacity recirculating dryers valued at P 8.1 million.
The cooperative also received agricultural machinery worth P 6.4 million, totaling the awarded project to P 71 million. The project is expected to benefit 1,100 members and other Ilokano farmers throughout the province.
Gov. Marcos Manotoc expressed his gratitude for these projects, saying:
“On behalf of the over 600,000 thousand Ilokanos, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to our President, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., and NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen for these projects. We look forward to many many more projects dito sa Ilocos Norte.”
Meanwhile, PBBM said “Ito ang aming patuloy [na ginagawa] dahil sa aking pananaw, kailangan natin kilalalnin ang ating mga magsasaka. Kailangan talaga tuloy-tuloy naming ginagawa ito para naman mas maganda ang agrikultura at kilalanin ng buong bansa na ang bagong bayani ay ang mga magsasaka na nagdadala ng pagkain sa buong pilipinas.
Hangga’t maaari, lahat ng maitulong namin ay itutulong namin sainyo dahil napakahalaga ng inyong mga ginagawa. Asahan ninyo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay nadito kasama ninyong lahat,” he added.
Gov. Marcos Manotoc encouraged the cooperative to “ensure proper usage and maintenance of the machine and to use it responsibly for the benefit of all members.”
Ilocos Norte also received P 50 million in presidential assistance to provide P 10,000.00 cash grants to 5,000 Ilokano farmers.
Farmers have always been the cornerstone of the province, and PGIN, under the leadership of Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, continues to coordinate with the national government and related agencies to boost Ilocos Norte’s agriculture productivity and profitability. (Kenneth Dhovan Natividad)
(Source: Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte)