GOVERNMENT projects on irrigation, flood control and education was recently approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board.

According to the board, the approved projects are geared toward promoting agricultural growth, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

ICC said that its Cabinet Committee (CabCom) approved two irrigation projects which are the Umayam River Irrigation Project (URIP), and the Casecnan Multi-Purpose Irrigation and Power Project-Irrigation Component, Phase II (CMIPP-IC).

A medium-scale irrigation project—the URIP—intends to provide water supply to agricultural lands of Adgaoan, La Paz and Umayam, Loreto in the province of Agusan del Sur.

It involves the construction of an overflow diversion dam across the Umayam River, an irrigation canal network, protection dike and improvement of waterways.

“The URIP enhances the standard of living of the people in the project area by increasing rice production through irrigation development and agricultural support services,” said neda Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr.

He added that given the long-term productivity-enhancing nature of the project, it can address sectoral, regional and local development plans such as the Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap of the Department of Agriculture and the Mindanao Strategic Development Framework for 2010-2020, among others.

Meanwhile, the continuation of the full irrigation to 20,321 of the 37,200 hectares of new areas in the towns of Munoz, Guimba, Talugtog, Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija; and Anao, Ramos and Victoria in Tarlac is the aim of the CMIPP-IC Phase II.

It also intends to stabilize the irrigation supply to 40,000 hectares of existing areas of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System.

Completed in December 2008, the first phase has benefited 16,879 hectares of new irrigation areas.

“This project is consistent with the objective of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 to improve food security and increasing household income in the countryside through agricultural modernization. It also addresses Central Luzon’s objective of making food affordable and sufficient in and out of the region,” Paderanga said.

Besides the two irrigation projects, ICC-CabCom also approved the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Measures in low-lying areas of the Pampanga Bay Project.

The project aims to reduce the extent, level and duration of flooding in the municipalities of Santo Tomas, Minalin, San Simon, Sasmuan, Apalit, Macabebe and Masantol in Pampanga.

“This project will directly alleviate the plight of school children in Pampanga in their water-soaked and severely deteriorated school surroundings. They can look forward to a better future as they can complete their education in an environment conducive for learning,” Paderanga said.

Lead by the departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Education (DepEd), the project involves site heightening of 26 schools to eliminate school site flooding and stagnant water ponding; reconstruction of 232 school rooms in 47 flood-affected and naturally deteriorated elementary schools; construction of 11 deep well pumps in 11 schools without secured source of potable water; and establishment of flood control measures in the area’s rivers.

With a P4.66-billion total project cost, the DPWH and DepEd are proposing to secure 83.77 percent through a loan from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of the government of South Korea, and the rest through Philippine government funding.