Farmers questioning the alleged "overpriced and anomalous" irrigation projects here will not stop seeking redress in the failed P1.4-billion Malinao Dam which has not irrigated their farmlands until today.

This, as militant farmers group Humabol (Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon) will stage a protest rally and dialogue with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and local officials tomorrow in Pilar town to resolve complaints of some 1,363 farmland owners that are supposedly beneficiaries of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage-1 (BHIP-1).

The dialogue is set to start at 9 a.m. where Gov. Erico Aumentado, Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrara and the three Bohol solons are also scheduled to attend.

BHIP-1, or the Malinao irrigation facility in barangay Estaca, Pilar town, has been operating since 1996 but has not irrigated its entire 4,960-hectare service area due to lack of water supply.

An internal evaluation report made by NIA last year pointed out that the water source of the Malinao Dam is "mismanaged" while, over the years, the dam's reservoir has been silted.

Costing P1.4-billion, the Malinao Dam could only irrigate 65-percent of its service area even during rainy season.

OFFERED LOAN

A large amount of the loans obtained by farmers and landowners were not paid since most of the lots converted have been unproductive ever since the Malinao irrigation project became operational.

When the irrigation dam was commissioned 10 years ago, only 2,007-hectares of its 4,960-hectare service area were suitable for irrigation. The remaining 2,953 hectares were still to be converted into rice fields. This was resolved through the loan agreement facilitated by NIA.

At that time, the supposed farmer-beneficiaries and landowners accepted the arrangement with the promise of good harvest.

Hence, the conversion of lands into lowland rice paddies was undertaken to attain maximum project benefit.

NIA likewise assured a two-year financial assistance to landowners who agreed to level their lands, from May 1996 to April 1998.

In their memorandum of agreement (MOA), the farmer-beneficiaries and landowners agreed that, "The farmer-landowner shall pay development cost per hectares for the converted land which includes cost of labor, tools and implements, equipment rental…"

The "total cost shall be amortized for a period 10 years in equal installments in 20 equal payments every crop harvest with crop harvest of two 2 times a year," the MOA stated.

The farmer-landowner "has the option to pay his total obligation in less than 10 years if favorable condition warrants," the MOA provided.

As part of the agreement, NIA is also required to "provide financial support for the total land leveling activities to the farmer-landowner to maximize productivity of his land as well as technical support, such as paddy development planning and construction, land area survey before and after land leveling."

Under the MOA, the leveling, tools such as soil scrapers, garden hoes, plows and other farm implements needed as well as the rental cost involved, is to be paid by the farmer-landowner.

GRAFT IN DAMS?

A press statement issued by Humabol chair Ruben Sobior bared that a picket rally will be held tomorrow in front of the offices of the BHIP-1 in Pilar town.

According to Sobior, there are more farmers and landowners who are apprehensive of the government's venture into linking the recently inaugurated Bohol Irrigation Project Stage-2 (BHIP-2 or Bayongan Dam) to the Malinao irrigation project.

Despite feasibility studies of a Japanese consulting firm and NIA engineers that there are structural flaws of the Malinao Dam, the Bayongan irrigation project was pursued.

The P3.6-billion Bayongan irrigation dam was built to complete the Bohol irrigation system which interconnects the two major irrigation facilities (Malinao and Bayongan) and integrating at least two NIA small river impounding projects - the Capayas Dam and the controversial Talibon Dam.

The BHIP will make Bohol one of the top rice producers in Central Visayas.

Land levelling is ongoing in the towns of San Miguel, Trinindad and Ubay, which part of the Bayongan Dam's service area.

Bonior said that farmers and landowners in these towns fear that the same fate awaits them as the Bayongan Dam mainly depends on excess water coming from Malinao Dam.

"But there is no excess water to speak of," Sobior said, "while Bayongan targets a much bigger service area, there is no assurance that these farmlands will be irrigated."

Moreover, NIA has also built a canal from the Bayongan reservoir going to Capayas Dam (another irrigation facility in Ubay town that has failed to irrigate its entire service area) to discharge excess water.

Former Gov. David Tirol, who also owns some 50-hectares that is within Malinao's irrigable area, said the government has been pursuing the irrigation projects that are "doomed to fail."

According to Sobior, even farmers whose rice fields are irrigated by Malinao Dam are complaining.

Instead of supplying water to their rice paddies continuosly for 60-days after planting season, Malinao could only irrigate for 17 to 21 days.

However, NIA is charging the farmers high irrigation service fees, according to Sobior.