P85-M rubber dam to benefit Albay farmers

LEGAZPI CITY — At long last, the first-ever rubber dam in Bicol and the long-time dream of the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the Albay municipalities of Libon and Oas will finally come true.

Last July 15, the groundbreaking for the P85-million irrigation project took place in Barangay Busac, Oas town to signal the start of the dam’s construction.

Aimed at further boosting rice production in Albay, the project will cover the rehabilitation and expansion of the now unserviceable South Quinale River Communal Irrigation System (CIS), which is located in Barangay Busac.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will provide the funding for the project under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP II) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

As support, Albay Gov. Fernando Gonzalez and third district Rep. Joey Salceda committed P5 million and P10 million, respectively, to finance the construction and improvement of the canal system that would guide the flow of water from the dam to the ricefields.

The rubber dam project, which will utilize a technology using an inflatable rubber structure to control the flow of water, will have a service area of at least 867 hectares of ricelands in more than 10 barangays in Libon and Oas.

Priority barangays are covered by the six big agrarian reform communities (ARCs) in Libon, namely Marayag, San Isidro, San Vicente, Bacolod, Burabod and Linao. The irrigation system is estimated to benefit 3,000 potential farmer-irrigators, including the 854 ARBs of the six ARCs.

DAR regional director Linda Hermogino said, "It’s our mandate in DAR and partner-agencies to initiate and implement projects like this in order to make sure that lands will be more productive after they have been awarded to the farmers."

The irrigation project materialized through the joint efforts of the DAR, Salceda, National Irrigation Administration, the South Quinale Irrigators Association and the local governments of Oas and Libon.