President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Monday inaugurated a P100-million solar-powered irrigation system in Ormoc City, calling it a milestone in the government’s push for climate-smart farming and renewable energy use in agriculture.
The R.M. Tan Solar Pump Irrigation Project (SPIP), the largest facility of its kind in Eastern Visayas, is designed to irrigate 100 hectares of farmland twice a year and support 92 farming families. Officials said the project is expected to increase crop yields while lowering production costs.
President Marcos said the project would replace costly diesel pumps with solar power to give farmers a cheaper and more sustainable irrigation system.
The system includes seven solar-powered pumps with 10-horsepower capacity across two sites. It is part of a broader initiative by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to roll out similar projects nationwide, in line with the administration’s renewable energy and food security goals.
NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen, NIA Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Manager Conrado Samson, and representatives from the agency’s central and regional offices joined Marcos during the inspection.
Members of the R.M. Tan Irrigators Association and farmer-beneficiaries also attended the event.
Agriculture modernization has been a key priority of the Marcos administration, with solar-powered irrigation identified as a long-term solution to rising fuel costs and the need for sustainable farming practices.
