Balbalungao irrigation provides water to 918.54 hectares of agricultural land in Nueva Ecija
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project at Brgy. San Isidro, Lupao, Nueva Ecija. | 📷 PPA POOL/Ryan Baldemor.
The National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) revealed that the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) has provided water to 918.54 hectares of agricultural land in the province of Nueva Ecija.
Situated in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, the Balbalungao SRIP utilizes the impounded waters of the Balbalungao River in Barangay San Isidro and serves the farming communities of Balbalungao, San Isidro, Salvacion, and Mapampang in Lupao.
According to NIA-UPRIIS, the Balbalungao SRIP’s partial operation had already provided irrigation to 676.44 hectares during the 2022 wet cropping season, yielding 3,159.80 metric tons of rice.
By 2025, rice production in the project’s service area reached 3,192.80 metric tons during the first dry cropping season and 3,628.50 metric tons during the wet cropping season.
Before the project, a communal irrigation system established in 1960 served approximately 219 hectares during the wet cropping season and 80 hectares during the dry cropping season, highlighting the expanded irrigation coverage provided by the SRIP.
Beyond irrigation, improved road access has made it easier for farmers to transport harvested crops from their farms to markets, according to leaders of the San Isidro-Balbalungao Irrigators’ Association, Inc., headed by its President Luzviminda Isalmo.
The improvements have also encouraged farmers to retain their farmlands and continue cultivating them, helping sustain their agricultural livelihoods.
Association Vice President John Gonzales expressed appreciation for the project and urged future generations to value and protect the dam, which farmers regard as an inheritance that should be safeguarded for years to come.
The Balbalungao Earthfill Dam and its appurtenant structures were constructed in 2020 and inaugurated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on December 13, 2023.
As the country prepares for the possible effects of El Niño, irrigation facilities such as the Balbalungao Dam remain important in managing water resources for agricultural production.
The project’s expanded service area highlights the role of irrigation infrastructure in sustaining farmers’ livelihoods.