Philippines: Jalaur river – Embracing and adapting to change towards inclusive growth

Iloilo City -- In February of this year, President Benigno Aquino III led the ground-breaking of the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project (JRMP) Phase II in Iloilo City to signal the start of the implementation of the project that promises to bring a positive change especially to agriculture in the province.

The multi-billion-peso project would improve irrigation that would enhance rice production and sustain Iloilo’s contribution to the country’s output of the staple.

It is the first large scale reservoir dam outside Luzon, according to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which will lead a local monitoring team that would ensure that project implementation complies with sound environmental management standards.

The project involves construction of three dams – Jalaur Reservoir, Jalaur Afterbay and Alibunan Catch Dam in Calinog town located about 60 kilometers from this city.

The project is second in the list of the Private Partnership Program Center of the National Projects for Medium-Term Rollout. Funding for the project comes from a P8.95-billion loan from the Export Import Bank of South Korea while the remaining P2.2 billion will be provided by the Philippine government as a counterpart fund.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the project was signed at Malacanan Palace in August of last year by Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima and Export-Import Bank of Korea Executive Director San-Wan Byun, an event witnessed by President Aquino, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Ilonggo Senator Franklin M. Drilon.

Secretary Alcala has said earlier that the project will provide year-round irrigation to increase agricultural production in 22,340 hectares of five existing irrigation systems and to an additional of 9,500 hectares of currently rain-fed areas in the province.

This would sustain rice self-sufficiency not only in the province but in the entire Western Visayas region and contribute to the annual increase in the country’s rice production target by 7.6 percent under the Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016.

Also, it would increase the areas of irrigable farmlands. The primary areas that would be covered are 25 of the province’s 42 municipalities, one component city and the capital city namely Calinog, Lambunao, Badiangan, Janiuay, Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara, Pavia, Alimodian, Leon, San Miguel, Oton, Tigbauan, Duenas, San Enrique, Anilao, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, Mina, New Lucena, Pototan, Zarraga, Leganes, Passi City, and Iloilo City.

Adequate irrigation would also result to diversified cropping and third cropping in selected areas as well as increased delivery of water to fishery farms.

Other benefits that would spin off Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II is the establishment of a 6.6-megawatt hydro-electric power plant comprising two units of a 3.3-megawatt per hour turbine to supplement the power supply in the province.
The project would also provide additional supply of good quality potable water for domestic and industrial consumption in the service areas of Metro Iloilo Water District including Iloilo City and other nearby municipalities.

It would further be of a help to current efforts towards flooding mitigation provided under the Iloilo Flood Control Program.
Selected dams or reservoir areas are also expected to double as eco-tourism destinations.

During the construction phases of the project, some 17,000 new jobs would be generated, which is equivalent to P1.3 billion in basic wages per year.

The project would yield more benefits including livelihood opportunities from inland fisheries and tourism, according to the Department of Agriculture.

CCC and UNDP

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched here July 8 “Project ReBUILD”, which seeks to increase the capacities of communities surrounding the Jalaur River Basin to manage disaster risks from climate change and adapt to its overall impacts towards resilience and sustainable development.

Project ReBUILD stands for Resilience Capacity Building for Cities and Municipalities to Reduce Disaster Risks from Climate Change and Natural Hazards, Phase 1.

The project launch was sealed by the signing July 8 of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the Commission represented by Secretary Mary Ann Lucille L. Sering, the Provincial Government of Iloilo with Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr., New Zealand Aid Program with Ambassador Reuben Levermore, and UNDP Country Director Toshihiro Tanaka.

It is funded by the New Zealand Aid Program (NZAP) to the tune of US$1.22 million and will be piloted in the municipalities of Calinog, Pototan, Zarraga and Dumangas and Passi City.

The three-year (2012-2015) project was conceived to come up with an assessment of the climate change vulnerabilities of target areas in the Jalaur River Basin, priority climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation measures, mainstreaming of climate change/disaster risk management budget in planning and regulatory processes, development of resilience of poor and most vulnerable areas, and establishment of a local knowledge management system in said areas.

The project is directly aligned to the New Zealand Aid Programme’s objective of “prioritizing investment in improving the resilience of countries to withstand disasters and emergencies”, especially in view of the additional threat from climate change.

It is also consistent with the UN Development Assistance Framework and the UNDP Country Programme goal of supporting an inclusive, sustainable and resilient development.

Secretary Sering said they chose Jalaur River Basin as project site because many communities surrounding the basin are prone to climate change-induced hazards such as landslides and floods that cause substantial losses in lives and property almost every year.
Project ReBUILD will build the capacities of these communities and other stakeholders to address disaster risks from natural hazards and climate change by putting in place the necessary enabling policy environment, mechanisms, systems and tools, said Sering.

“Part of the scheme,” she said, “is improving the competencies of the concerned personnel to improve project implementation efficiency.”

Defensor said he is fully committed to support the project which he called “very important” insofar as addressing the effects of climate change is concerned.

Project ReBUILD is being implemented in two river basins in the country, the other being the Cagayan River Basin in Luzon, which was launched July 4 of this year.

The project MOU signing coincided with the observance of the 2013 National Disaster Consciousness Month, which aimed at increasing the awareness of every Filipino to the ever threatening disasters for a better appreciation of the government’s disaster preparedness programs.

The Climate Change Commission said the project “is strongly aligned with and responds to the priorities of the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016, the National Climate Change Action Plan, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan.

In his message at the ground-breaking of the project here, President Aquino said that the P11.212-billion Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II reflects government’s vision of providing a comfortable life for the Ilonggos, a way of life which is the ultimate goal of the government’s thrust towards inclusive growth. (JCM/JSC-PIA6)