Iloilo bags P5.9-B national fund to complete Jalaur mega project

ILOILO PROVINCE — The long-delayed completion of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project (JRMP) Stage II is now within reach, with Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. securing Php5.9 billion in fresh national funding for its full implementation.

The new allocation — P5,961,320,196.33 — has been included in the General Appropriations Bill and will finance the construction of the long-awaited irrigation canal system, which will distribute water from the Jalaur Dam to thousands of farms and communities across the province.

“This is the missing link that will make the Jalaur project fully functional,” Defensor said in a radio interview. “We only had Php780 million before, but now the canals will be completely funded.”

He said he personally appealed to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman for the release of the funds and has asked senators to ensure that the allocation remains intact during budget deliberations.

Aside from the dam project, Defensor said the Department of Budget and Management is also finalizing the release of Php115 million from the Local Government Support Fund for the construction of the Iloilo Provincial Government Center in Sta. Barbara.

Defensor said the developments affirm Iloilo’s status as a top priority for national investment and a model of provincial development.

“The Jalaur project will secure our food production, strengthen irrigation, and drive countryside growth,” he said. “When Jalaur flows, Iloilo grows.”