Mega-irrigation w/ hydropower proj eyed

TAGBILARAN CITY ,Philippines  — Preparations are underway for the implementation of a mega-irrigation project in Bohol that would be the biggest in the entire Visayas regions and the only one with a hydropower component.

Representative Erico Aumentado (2nd district, Bohol) said he had already discussed the proposed Bohol Northeast Basin Multi-Purpose Dam with Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel who expressed support for its twin components-irrigation and hydropower.

Aumentado said the dam is expected to provide dependable irrigation water supply to the northeastern basin towns of Danao, Dagohoy, San Miguel, Trinidad, Bien Unido and Ubay.

"It will generate cheaper and reliable source of energy to meet the increasing local energy and power needs of Bohol whose fast development in tourism, agri-business and other industries require long-term food and power supply," he said.

The initial projection of NIA-7 showed that the irrigation project was planned to serve a total of 19,017.28 hectares, broken down as follows: Danao - 1,353.95 hectares; San Miguel - 3,520 has.; Trinidad - 5,945.59 has.; Dagohoy - 1,770.5 has.; Bien Unido, 1,896.12 has. and Ubay - 4,530.2 has.

 "The dam will be built in Danao while the reservoir will be in the center of Carmen, Dagohoy, Danao and San Miguel. The projection showed that the dam will be the biggest in the entire Visayas - bigger that the Iloilo Irrigation Facility that irrigates about 11,000 hectares in Panay Island," said Aumentado.

On the other hand, the initial study of Sunwest Power and Water Services (Sunwest) indicated that the multi-purpose dam can generate 10 mega watts of hydropower which is much bigger than all existing hydropower generation in Bohol combined.

Aumentado said the dam will also be the only major irrigation facility that has a hydropower component in the Visayan Region.

The congressman explained, in his letter to Governor Edgar Chatto through Provincial Planning and Development officer John Titus Vistal, that a pre-feasibility study (PFS) has been prepared to draw an Official Development Assistance grants from the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Official Development Assistance.

The PFS and the detailed engineering design, which needed about US$5 million, had been prepared in collaboration with the NIA-7 office based in this city-forf the irrigation component-and Sunwest for the hydropower component.