In an exclusive interview with the Daily Tribune, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eddie Guillen said the agency is revising crop schedules, expanding solar-powered irrigation and pursuing new water-storage projects as it prepares for the possible effects of El Niño and increasingly erratic weather.

Guillen said NIA’s approach goes beyond preparing for drought, covering both El Niño and La Niña conditions as well as longer-term climate risks to irrigation systems and farm production.

“Hindi lang sa El Niño tayo nag-prepare kundi sa La Niña rin,” Guillen said, referring to the agency’s climate-resilience planning.

Among the short-term measures, he said, is the adjustment of planting calendars in selected irrigation service areas. In the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems area served by Pantabangan Dam, NIA has moved one cropping cycle from June or July to October.

Guillen said the previous schedule exposed crops to typhoons while requiring substantial releases from the dam for land preparation. Planting in October, he said, allows farmers to use rainfall to soak their fields and reduces the need to draw on stored water. A harvest around February could also avoid the peak typhoon months, he added.

The water saved during the first cycle could then be used for a second dry-season crop, with irrigation releases beginning around March and harvests expected by July, according to Guillen.

NIA is also promoting alternate wetting and drying, a technique in which rice fields are not kept continuously flooded. Guillen said the method may reduce water use by 20% to 30%, and that some farmers have reported improved yields. He did not provide figures on the number of farmers using the practice or independently verified yield data.

For emergency response, Guillen said NIA is seeking heavy equipment that could be used to build temporary diversion structures during drought or remove silt after periods of heavy rainfall.

The agency is also expanding solar pump irrigation projects. Guillen told the Daily Tribune that NIA has installed more than 2,000 solar pump units, most serving 10 to 15 hectares and intended mainly for high-value crops. Some installations, he said, cover hundreds of hectares.

In the longer term, NIA plans to build high dams and water-impounding facilities to capture water for agriculture and other uses. The projects are intended to improve water availability during dry months while helping manage runoff during heavy rains.

Guillen also addressed questions on project selection and safeguards against irregularities in construction. He said NIA evaluates whether there are farmers who want to cultivate an area, whether land is available, and whether a reliable water source exists before a project moves forward.

He added that the agency studies construction costs, including the availability and proximity of aggregates and other materials, before setting a project budget.

Under NIA’s approach, Guillen said irrigators’ associations are involved in project implementation and that at least 70% of the non-technical labor force in some projects is drawn from association members. He said this is intended to give beneficiaries a direct stake in workmanship and maintenance.

On dam conditions following recent heavy rainfall, Guillen said Pantabangan Dam remained below its full capacity and that NIA did not release water from the facility during the rainy period. He said heavy flows and debris damaged some irrigation canals and an upstream dike, but the dam itself was not damaged.

Guillen said Magat Dam had also stored enough water to irrigate its service area. He said its level remained below the 190-meter spilling level, but did not specify the date of the measurement or the exact volume available.

The NIA chief also cited partnerships with other government agencies that combine irrigation with aquaculture and high-value crop production. He said the agency had recorded about P1.6 billion in sales through partner agencies since the initiative began.