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In
an apparent bid to save faces and the farmer-beneficiaries,
the Pilar-based National Irrigation Administration (NIA) pledged
to recommend for the termination of the Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) between the agency (NIA) and said beneficiaries on land
leveling to make them productive.
During
the recent dialogue held at Pilar NIA office, NIA representative
Engr. Olimpio Galagala, irrigation superintendent, told the
farmers that he would recommend to NIA officials for cancellation
of the said contract of affected beneficiaries.
He
also said that he will coordinate with other agencies concerned
like the Department of Agriculture, wherein the NIA is an
attached agency, in connection with his recommendation.
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On
farmers' demand to reduce the irrigation service fees,
Galagala made no categorical answer since this is a
national policy that is beyond his domain.
But
the outcome of the dialogue was short of farmers' contentment.
The farmers-beneficiaries belonging to Alyansa sa Mag-uumang
Benepisyaryo sa Capayas Dam (ALMABECAD) and Alyansa
sa Mag-uumang Benepisyaryo sa Pilar Dam (ALMABEPDA)
are dissatisfied since there is no assurance that what
Galagala has said would be realized, said Eugenio Timon,
chairman of the Mag-uumang Apektado sa Land Leveling
(MALALA).
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In
an exclusive interview, Timon expressed disgust that the invited
officials snubbed them. He said that the officials belittled
the farmers in a dialogue wherein it's the only venue to air
their grievances.
Invited
were Gov. Erico Aumentado, Representatives Edgar Chatto, Roberto
Cajes and Adam Relson Jala.
Timon
also said he was dissatisfied with the outcome of the dialogue
because they were not assured of commitments of NIA to resolve
their predicaments, especially the lack of water flowing to
their rice fields.
He
said his three hectares of land being leveled in Caluasan,
Dagohoy, failed to avail of the services of the Malinao irrigation
because the water did not reach his farmland. But for the
past ten years since 1997, only about one an a half of his
property has been served by water. His farms could only avail
of water for about six days in a month, he added.
The
same is true with land owned by farmer Rey Luchana, president
of the ALMABEPDA. His land also located at Caluasan, Dagohoy
town. Luchana said that only about two hectares of his 16
has. of land benefited from the irrigation facility.
Both
farmer-leaders said that more than 1,000 hectares of leveled
land had not been able to benefit from the irrigation.
The
farmers also urged NIA to rehabilitate the canals at Capayas
irrigation dam in Ubay town since these are already below
the rice fields as result of the rehabilitation.
As
this developed, the farmers-beneficiaries is set to hold another
round of "People's Conference on Dams in Bohol"
at Ubay Cultural Center, Ubay Bohol on December 8, 2007.
Invited
are Gov. Aumentado, Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Vice
Governor Julius Herrera, the three congressmen, NIA officials
of Pilar, Ubay and NIA Provincial office, Provincial Agriculture
office.
Also
expected to attend the forum are Bayan Muna Representative
Teddy Casiño, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Representative,
Concerned Japanese Groups on Japan-Official Development Assistance
(ODA), and other concerned groups and professionals.
"The
said conference aims to resolve the problems brought about
by dam projects especially on the farmers affected by the
inefficiency of Malinao dam, the unresolved case of Talibon
dam, the future of the expensive Bayongan dam, and other un-operational
and inefficient dams in the province. (RVO)
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