In an effort to improve irrigation systems and increase farm productivity, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the turnover of more than 200 units of machinery for irrigation operations and maintenance nationwide on Monday.
During the turnover ceremony in Taguig City, President Marcos handed over symbolic keys to representatives of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) field offices for a total of 229 specialized vehicles, worth PHP 799.568 million, which were distributed under the third and final tranche of the NIA’s re-fleeting program.
“Sa tulong ng mga sasakyan, backhoe, dump trucks, excavators, umaasa tayo na mas bibilis ang pagsasaayos ng mga nasirang irigasyon at ang pagpapatayo ng mga bagong proyektong patubig,” President Marcos said during the event.
“At kapag maayos ang irigasyon, mas malaki ang ani, mas magandang kalidad ang ating mga produkto, mas mataas ang kita ng ating mga magsasaka,” the President added.
President Marcos recognized the critical role of Filipino farmers and reiterated the government’s support aimed at improving their livelihood.
“Buong puso po ang pasasalamat namin sa inyo. At hindi po titigil ang Administrasyong ito sa pagpapatupad ng mga programa na magpapabuti ng iyong mga kinabukasan,” the President said.
In line with President Marcos’ directive to fast-track the development of irrigation projects, NIA is currently upgrading its fleet to enhance operational efficiency, support field activities, and ensure the timely implementation of irrigation projects nationwide.
The President also led the distribution of irrigation equipment during the first two tranches of the re-fleeting program.
Under the first tranche, 141 units of wheeled excavators, valued at PhP776 million, were turned over to NIA field offices nationwide in December 2023.
The second tranche involves the government turning over 148 units of new excavators, trailer trucks, and dumper trucks, valued at PhP782 million, in August 2024.
The third and final tranche of machinery consisted of new wheel loaders with backhoes, motor graders, tractor crawlers, excavator crawlers, self-loading trucks, and mini dump trucks. | PND
