INDEBTED by millions of pesos in back accounts to the National Irrigation Authority, farmers from Mindanao urged on Monday Administrator Ricardo Visaya to waive their unpaid fees.
Virgilio Lincuna of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in the Caraga Administrative Region or Region 13 lamented that despite the lack of irrigation and water supply in their areas, they were charged with obligatory irrigation service fees.
The affected farmers are set to storm NIA central office in Quezon City today in protest and to seek a dialogue with Visaya, whom they dubbed as the “Hacienda Luisita massacre ex-general.”
Despite NIA’s P38.6-billion budget for 2017, local NIA offices continued to collect irrigation service fees even during calamities or production losses, Lincuna said.
But farmers fear that the multibillion NIA budget will be squandered to corruption and will not be used to provide the much-needed support services for farmers.
KMP said that for fiscal year 2018, NIA is requesting a budget allocation of more than P40 billion.
The KMP said this and other similar situation of farmers nationwide prove that NIA is not following its own Memorandum Circular No. 13 series of 2017 or the Guidelines on Free Irrigation.
Farmers fear that the multibillion NIA budget will be squandered to corruption and will not be used to provide the much-needed support services for farmers.
KMP said, for fiscal year 2018, NIA is requesting a budget allocation of more than P40 billion.
The agency was constrained to cut the water supply and impose high interest rates due to the farmers’ failure to pay on time, he added.
“Worse, NIA also threatened to confiscate lands of farmers who failed to pay irrigation fees. NIA in Caraga has previously figured in corruption due to unfinished irrigation systems worth P190 million,” the KMP’s statement read.
Farmers from other regions are similarly situated, Lincuna said, adding NIA is not following its own Memorandum Circular No. 13 of 2017, or the guidelines on free irrigation.
The NIA chief was the ground commander during the Hacienda Luisita Inc. massacre in Tarlac in 2004.
Caraga is the 12th top rice producer in the country, and that 26 percent of Mindanao’s rice production comes from the region.
It has eight river irrigation systems covering 95,703-hectares irrigable areas.
Only 47,968 hectares are with actual irrigation services.
More farmers depend heavily on rainwater for farmland irrigation, KMP said.
Caraga is the 12th top rice producer in the country and 26 percent of Mindanao’s rice production comes from Caraga.
KMP said Caraga has 8 river irrigation systems covering 95,703-hectares irrigable areas. But according to NIA, only 47,968-hectares are with actual irrigation services. In Butuan City, farmers are paying double for irrigation services to the Lower Agusan River Pump Irrigation System (LARPIS). Irrigation systems using water pump and electricity charge between P2,800 to P5,000 per hectares. More farmers rely on The farmers also asked Congress to fast-track the approval of the free irrigation bill.