Marcos boasts solar-powered irrigation

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Ormoc City on Monday to inspect a Solar Pump Irrigation Project (SPIP) of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Region VIII.

Valued at P100 million, the project is the largest SPIP in Eastern Visayas, capable of irrigating 100 hectares of farmland for two cropping seasons each year.

It is expected to benefit around 92 farmers and their families in Barangay R.M. Tan, where the facility is located. The renewable energy system powers seven units of 10-horsepower pumps.

Officials said the project will help increase harvests and improve the income of households dependent on farming. By harnessing solar energy, the SPIP will replace diesel pumps, giving farmers a cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient source of irrigation.

The Ormoc SPIP is part of a nationwide initiative to construct solar-powered irrigation systems to provide long-term benefits to farmers while supporting the country’s renewable energy and sustainable development goals.

According to Marcos, more SPIP facilities are already operating across the country.

“We have built over a hundred of those around the country already,” he said.

“I just wanted to see how it works, it’s impressive. We’re using the best of high-technology. It has satellite imaging, there’s use of [artificial intelligence]. It’s really impressive because it is beneficial to crops,” he added.