A P7-billion irrigation project, seen to boost food security and promote peace in Mindanao, is up for formal endorsement by the government for Japan’s official development assistance (ODA).
A board member of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) told reporters that the board confirmed on December 20, 2010, the Investment Coordination Committee approval of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project, Stage II (MMIP II) in North Cotabato and Maguindanao for “a possible Japan ODA loan.”
NEDA will subsequently forward the project to the Department of Foreign Affairs for formal endorsement to the government of Japan.
The total project cost is estimated at P7 billion. Of the total, P5.07 billion will be sourced from a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan.
About P1.93 billion will be the Philippine government’s counterpart funding. The irrigation project aims to increase rice production and productivity.
This, in turn, is expected to raise household incomes, improve access to basic social services, contribute to food sufficiency, improve institutional effectiveness through partnerships with local government units, and help promote peace in the project area.
The MMIP has three components, namely, irrigation, agriculture and social development.
Under the irrigation component, new facilities will be built at Upper Malitubog (2,206 hectares) and Lower Malitubog (6,590 ha.) in North Cotabato and Pagalungan (988 ha.) in Maguindanao.
Under the agriculture component, pilot demonstration farms and seed production farms will be put up; farm inputs will be provided to farmer-beneficiaries; and production post-harvest equipment and marketing assistance will be made available.
The social component will include the construction of potable water supply facilities, school classrooms, barangay (village) health stations, day care centers, and farm-to-market roads.
The project will be implemented in five years, including two years of preparation and three years of construction with the target completion by 2015.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) shall lead the implementation of the project in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute and the municipal governments of Carmen, Aleosan and Pikit in Cotabato, as well as Datu Montawal and Pagalungan in Maguindanao.
Parallel to MMIP II, NIA has included in its 2011 budget the rehabilitation and construction of the damaged and unfinished irrigation facilities under MMIP I in order to generate 7,173 ha.
