Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inaugurated the Cabaruan Solar Powered Pump Irrigation Project (SPIP) in Quirino, Isabela, which stands out as the largest irrigation system of its kind in the Philippines.
The Cabaruan SPIP, managed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) under the Mangat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS), was built between July 6, 2023 and February this year, with a total investment of PHP 65.77 million.
Inauguration of the project. Source: RTVMalacanang
Advantages of the solar pump irrigation system
The system has 1,056 solar panels capable of generating 739,200 watts of power for two submersible pumps, each with a discharge capacity of 12,800 gallons per minute. This infrastructure is intended to irrigate 350 hectares of rice fields, benefiting approximately 237 Palay farmers.
During his speech, the president emphasized that this project will allow farmers to save considerably due to the free supply of electricity. He also mentioned that the solar panels are placed over the irrigation canal, thus avoiding the reduction of the cultivable area.
Filipina works on irrigation projects
Marcos said the NIA has already implemented 15 massive solar pump irrigation projects and two smaller projects in the Cagayan Valley region. In total, 82 solar pump irrigation projects have been completed nationwide since 2023.
In addition, the president assured that more similar projects will be built in the coming months and years, reiterating the government’s commitment to agricultural modernization.
Marcos commended the NIA for its dedication to completing key projects and urged them to explore further irrigation systems combined with power generation facilities, such as the Magat dam. He stressed that possible upgrades are being studied for this dam built four decades ago during the term of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
Support for the expansion of agricultural irrigation
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez expressed his intention to propose more funds for solar irrigation pumps in non-irrigated farming communities when considering the annual national budget. Romualdez led the distribution of 17 solar pumps in Isabela, helping hundreds of farmers to irrigate their land.
Finally, Romualdez emphasized the importance of irrigation in the production of rice, corn and other agricultural products in Isabela and throughout the country. He also mentioned the need to support farmers with irrigation and other agricultural inputs to increase production.
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Source: pna
Photo: Freepik