ILOILO CITY — The proposed Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project in Capiz is nearing a major milestone, with around 80 percent of its detailed engineering design already completed, according to the National Irrigation Administration.

Officials said the agency is set to submit the project’s feasibility study and final detailed engineering documents for national evaluation, a key step before cost updating and possible implementation.

NIA 6 Director Jonel Borres said the documents will be endorsed to the National Economic and Development Authority—now under the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development—for review and recalculation of the project’s financial requirements.

Originally proposed in 2017 with an estimated cost of P20.7 billion, the project is expected to require a higher budget due to inflation and changes in construction costs over nearly a decade.

Regional officials remain optimistic that the initiative will be prioritized under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., noting that it has been identified as one of Western Visayas’ flagship infrastructure projects.

Once completed, the development is projected to benefit more than 26,000 farmers by improving irrigation access, while also addressing recurring flooding in several municipalities across Capiz.

Authorities said the project is expected to strengthen water security and agricultural productivity in one of the region’s major farming areas.