NIA turns over three solar-powered irrigation projects in Ilocos Norte

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region I has turned over three solar-powered irrigation projects in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, to improve water access for farmers as the province prepares for the potential effects of a looming Super El Niño.

The projects, located in the barangays of Bimmanga, San Antonio and Sallaguid, are expected to provide irrigation services to 45 hectares of farmland, helping farmers maintain crop production despite the threat of prolonged dry spells and declining water availability.

NIA Regional Manager Geffrey Catulin and Engr. Joselito De Vera of the NIA Ilocos Norte Irrigation Management Office (NIA-INIMO) facilitated the turnover, which was attended by House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos.

The solar-powered facilities are expected to help address irrigation challenges in areas where conventional water delivery systems have struggled to reach farms, particularly during the second cropping season when water shortages can affect rice growth and harvests.

Julio M. Tomas, president of the Sociodad de Labradora de Sallaguid Irrigators Association Inc., said the project would help resolve water shortages in distant portions of their fields, where rice crops had previously struggled to receive sufficient water during the second cropping season.

“With the solar pump, we can now meet the water needs of the 10 hectares it covers,” Tomas said.

Joey M. Pascual, president of the Bimmanga-Loing Farmers Irrigators Association Inc., said the project would make irrigation more accessible to farmers and pledged that their association would maintain and protect the solar facility.

The turnover comes as agricultural communities face the need to strengthen their preparations for El Niño, a climate phenomenon associated with unusually warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that can disrupt rainfall patterns and increase the risk of drought in the Philippines.

With a potential Super El Niño raising concerns over prolonged dry conditions, reliable irrigation will be critical in helping farmers sustain rice production, protect their crops from water stress and reduce the risk of income losses. Solar-powered pumps can also help lessen dependence on conventional electricity sources, although their effectiveness will still depend on available water supplies, system capacity and proper maintenance.

For farmers in Piddig, the additional irrigation facilities could help reduce the vulnerability of farmlands that have historically struggled with water access, particularly during dry months. Maintaining adequate irrigation is also important in protecting local food production and helping stabilize farmers’ livelihoods when rainfall becomes unreliable.

NIA and the irrigators’ associations are expected to play key roles in ensuring the facilities remain operational, with proper maintenance and responsible water management necessary to maximize the projects’ benefits.

While the three projects cover a limited area, they provide additional irrigation capacity at a time when preparations for possible El Niño-related drought are increasingly important to the agricultural sector.