Administrator Benny Antiporda of the National Irrigation Administration delivers his speech at the IA Congress in the presence of Acting Governor Jeffrey Ferrer.*
Administrator Benny Antiporda of the National Irrigation Administration pledged on Monday, November 7, to provide efficient, effective and sustainable irrigation services in Negros Occidental to achieve food security.
Antiporda, who spoke at the NIA Region 6 Irrigators’ Association (IA) Congress at Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod City, said in line with President Ferdinand Marcos’ order their first priority is to make sure that the country becomes self-sufficient in rice.
After palay, NIA will also focus on irrigation for sugarcane and high value crops, he assured.
He told the NIA personnel it is time for them to get out of their offices and ensure that problems in irrigation systems are immediately fixed so that they do not worsen.
Antiporda said he has asked the president to return the supervision of communal irrigation systems, which were supposed to be placed under the local government units, to the NIA so they can be repaired.
He also challenged the members of the irrigators associations to do their share in protecting water sources and irrigation systems.
The officers of the Negros Occidental Federation of Irrigators’ Associations composed of 160 IAs signed a pledge of commitment to support NIA in its realization of the president’s flagship programs, the Masagana 150 and Masagana 200, to achieve rice sufficiency in the country.
The Negros federation is composed 16,154 farmer-members tilling 19,661.27 hectares of irrigated agricultural land.
Acting Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who delivered the welcome address at the congress, urged all of the stakeholders to continue strengthening their mutual tasks.
The IA Congress will surely come up with programs to further ensure efficiency and productivity of farmers, he said.
Ferrer also assured that the provincial government will support their programs to improve the welfare of the farmers.
“Our table will never be sufficient with food without the hard work of our farmers,” he said.*