Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28) — The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) wants the national government to allot ₱200 billion yearly for dam-related projects, in a bid to improve the country’s agricultural landscape.
“Ang ideal sana, para sa akin, meron sana ma-implement ang gobyerno ng ₱200-billion worth of dam projects para lamang mabago yung agricultural landscape,” said NIA administrator Eddie Guillen in a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.
[Translation: In my opinion, the ideal is for the government to implement ₱200-billion worth of dam projects so we can change the agricultural landscape.]
\”Ang akin lang, sana ayun yung budget per year,\” he added.
[Translation: I think that should be the yearly budget.]
The NIA official pointed out that dams could be utilized in various ways aside from farm irrigation.
\”Kapag meron ka kasing dam, automatic meron ka para sa irrigation,\” said Guillen. \”Pero yung ibang dams kasi may power components…pwede mo rin siya gamitin sa aquaculture…pwede rin pang tourism. Napakaraming factors ang pwede mong gawin kapag meron kang dam,\” he said.
[Translation: If you have a dam, automatically you have something for irrigation. But other dams also have power components…you can also use it for aquaculture…you can also utilize it for tourism. Dams have so many different uses.]
