The National Irrigation Administration or NIA plans to use its approved P40-billion budget to expand the irrigation programs across 57,000 hectares of additional rice lands that could produce 570,000 metric tons of paddy rice or palay annually.

Initial estimates showed that such projected yields, if computed conservatively at P19 per kilo, can generate P10.83 billion yearly with a payback period of about four years.

NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said over the weekend that the budget will help address both climate change and sustainability concerns.

"Ensuring long-term food security is a paramount objective for NIA. To address the growing demand for food in our country, it is imperative to accelerate the development of new irrigation areas," Guillen said.

P30-B solar project

Aside from irrigation, NIA is embarking on a P30-billion development of solar-powered irrigation projects across 791 sites nationwide providing water supply to 39,694 hectares of farmland.

The agency previously said venturing into solar-powered irrigation projects to replace expensive diesel pumps that burden Filipino farmers.

Solar power is seen to be more cost-effective than fuel-powered irrigation pumps due to operation costs.

For next year, the NIA said it has earmarked P1.73 billion to build solar-powered irrigation projects in 183 sites to irrigate over 2,000 hectares of farmland.

This year alone, NIA has allotted P1.64 billion to cover the development of 147 solar-powered irrigation facilities.