Effective flood control lessens agri damage - DA spox

Metro Manila, Philippines - Damage incurred by the agriculture sector could be lessened if flood control projects were effective, an agriculture official said as he called for more funds for irrigation.

In an interview on Monday, Aug. 18, Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the sector recorded harvest losses of up to 600,00 metric tons annually due to continuous rains.

Aside from palay damage, livestock losses and damaged facilities come with massive floods that subside slowly.

“Halimbawa, ang ibinigay na pondo sa flood control, inilaan sa irigasyon, sa irrigation water at drainage, imagine assuming lang, portion no’ng P100 billion, ang daming ektarya mapapatubigan no’n considering that we still have one million hectares of potentially irrigable areas,” De Mesa told reporters.

[Translation: If the funds for flood control were instead allocated to irrigation water and drainage, just assuming the portion of the P100 billion could irrigate many hectares. That’s considering that we still have one million hectares of potentially irrigable areas.]

RELATED: 15 contractors cornered ₱100-B flood control projects - Marcos 

“‘Yong rate ng pondo na nilalagay sa NIA (National Irrigation Authority), sa BSWM (Bureau of Soils and Water Management) kokonti lang every year para… mabilis na magkaroon ng maramihan na irrigation,” he said.

[Translation: The funds put into NIA and BSWM every year is inadequate to fast-track the coverage of irrigation.]

“Sana, kung talagang priority ang agri, panawagan din namin ito na bigyan [ng pondo],” the agriculture official said, pitching that it’s a long-term infrastructure investment that could benefit farmers.

[Translation: If agriculture is truly a priority, it’s also our call for more funds for irrigation.]

The agriculture sector posted at least P3.1 billion worth of damage after three consecutive tropical cyclones in July. The value translated to a production loss of around 79,000 metric tons.

The government’s flood control projects were under intense scrutiny of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., prompting a corruption crackdown.

Of the over P6.7-trillion 2026 National Expenditure Program, the agriculture sector will get P256.5 billion. The Department of Agriculture will have around P153.9 billion.