Japan deputy chief of Mission Minister Motohiko Kato graces the inauguration of Catubig dam

By TERESITA B. CARDENAS
June 7, 2010

CATARMAN, Northern Samar  –  The Deputy Chief of Mission Minister Motohiko Kato graces the inauguration of Catubig Dam Saturday at Brgy. San Isidro, Las Navas, Northern Samar.

In his message Kato said, he was deeply honored to be invited at Saturday’s inauguration of the Catubig Dam under the Help for Catubig Agricultural Advancement Program (HCAAP). This project reaffirms Japan’s continuous support as a top donor to the Philippines’ nation building efforts along the lines of the Philippine Government’s Medium Term Development and Investment Plan.

Likewise he said, Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the province of Northern Samar through HCAAP covers a comprehensive range of cooperation from infrastructure development, enhancing farmers’ livelihood, increasing agricultural productivity as well as improving health and sanitation conditions of the people in the rural communities.

“We are pleased to see the significant results of our extensive cooperation for socio economic development in this province, particularly the agricultural and infrastructure sectors”, he said.

HCAAP is a major agricultural and infrastructure project started in 2002 geared towards raising the income level of farmers, generating new employment opportunities as well as improving the social infrastructure and services of various communities in Catubig and Las Navas.

The Catubig Dam is one of the major components of the HCAAP. The dam has the capacity to irrigate approximately 3,227 hectares of farmlands in two cropping seasons and will benefit more than 580 farm families. The completion of the dam will substantially address the critical problem of lack of irrigation water in these communities and will contribute to increase crop production and livelihood opportunities, thereby raising farmers’ income and spur economic activities in this province, he added.

The project, totaling about 5,210 million yen or approximately P260 million pesos, is expected to foster the economic activities of, not only the project’s immediate target beneficiaries but also among the rest of the communities in the province.

He also congratulated the Provincial Government of Northern Samar led by Governor Raul A. Daza and Congressman Paul R. Daza, the National Irrigation Administration, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Agriculture as well as all the project officers and staff who contributed to the successful completion of this project component.