President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday inaugurated the Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) in Aborlan, Palawan, a facility that is seen to strengthen food security, improve farmers' livelihoods, and help cushion the effects of climate change and El Niño on agriculture.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said the project will provide a reliable year-round water supply to 1,072 hectares of agricultural land, benefiting 425 members of the Ibato-Iraan Farmers Irrigators Association.

Marcos also revealed that it is the largest irrigation project built by NIA in Palawan and the island's first reservoir-type irrigation system, highlighting its importance as changing weather patterns make farming less predictable.

"Nowadays, especially in the middle of the dry season or El Niño, we cannot just rely on the arrival of rain,” Marcos said.

Marcos also asserted that the project is expected to increase rice production, raise farmers' incomes and provide greater water security for farming communities in the province.

Aside from irrigation, the reservoir is also designed to support aquaculture and serve as a potential source of water for nearby communities, with a storage capacity of up to 3.013 million cubic meters of rainwater collected from a 26.73-square-kilometer drainage area.

Marcos also announced plans to further modernize irrigation systems in Palawan through solar-powered irrigation pumps and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Satellite-Assisted Monitoring and Irrigation System, which will help farmers monitor crop conditions and improve water and fertilizer management.

Marcos further calls on the NIA and the Ibato-Iraan Farmers Irrigators Association to work together in maintaining the facility, assuring farmers of the government's continued support for agricultural development and irrigation projects nationwide.