DE Adongay supports NIA’s project implementations and speedy recovery of damaged irrigations caused by typhoons Urduja and Agaton

By CHELSEA QUIJANO-SALLOMAN
February 2, 2018

NAVAL, Biliran – In pursuit of the National Irrigation Agency’s (NIA’s) commitment to provide an efficient, effective and sustainable irrigation services in support of the farmer’s livelihood and the government’s program for food self-sufficiency and inclusive economic growth, the NIA Leyte Irrigation Management Office - Region 8 conducts a stakeholders forum on January 31 at Marvin’s Seaside Inn, Brgy. Atipolo, Naval, Biliran.

Engr. David P. Adongay Jr., District Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Biliran District Engineering Office participates the said forum on behalf of Engr. Edgar B. Tabacon, DPWH 8 Regional Director.

Engr. Fermina B. Aling, Acting Regional Manager, NIA 8 says that the rationale of the stakeholders’ forum is to establish a covenant in support of faster and better implementation of irrigation projects and sustainable and reliable irrigation service and to solicit the assistance of the stakeholders for the immediate restoration of the communal irrigation systems and the speedy recovery of irrigation communities devastated by typhoons Urduja and Agaton.

During the forum, Engr. Estelita S. Sumile, Manager, Engineering and Operations Division shares the status of irrigation development of CY 2017 projects and the proposed CY 2018 projects of the region while Engr. Alejandro C. Culibar,D.M., Acting Division Manager, Biliran-Leyte del Norte- Leyte del Sur IMO tackles the province’s status of irrigation development of CY 2017 projects and the proposed CY 2018 projects.

Engr. Conrado M. Samson, OIC, Operations and Maintenance Section also gives updates on the damages of typhoons Urduja and Agaton particularly on irrigation damages.

Adongay says that on the part of the rehabilitation assistance, DPWH is willing to provide equipment to be used for the immediate restoration of the communal irrigation systems and for the speedy recovery of irrigation communities devastated by the said typhoons.

He clarifies that the equipment should be requested from the Regional Director through the District Office to determine if the equipment to be borrowed is not currently used by the office because at present, Biliran DEO is prioritizing the restoration of all the damaged infrastructure facilities on the national roads and highways facilities and its national bridges.

“Be ensured that they can immediately avail the equipment in case the Regional Director will approve their request and whenever the equipment is available,” says Adongay.

Adongay also says that the district office will support the implementation of NIA’s projects particularly on the implementation of their drainage canals considering that most of the DPWH projects at present are road widening improvement so some of the canals constructed by the NIA will be affected during the road widening project.

“We are requesting NIA that before the start of their project implementation, they should coordinate with our office because if it crosses the national highway, we will be requesting from the Regional Office that we need to cut our national highways in order for the irrigation project to pass through the national highway,” says Adongay.