DINGALAN, Aurora-A P10-million communal irrigation project (CIP) in this mountain resort town has been junked by its funding agency, the National Irrigation Administration, due to problems over the road right of way (RROW).
The Umiray CIP in Barangay Umiray has been cancelled by the NIA’s Bulacan-Aurora-Nueva Ecija (Bane) office which realigned the budget to other irrigation projects.
The budget realignment was confirmed by Angelito Miguel, manager of the Bane division based in San Rafael, Bulacan.
Bane is one of three divisions under the NIA Region 3 office headed by regional manager Josephine Salazar. The others are the Tarlac-Zambales (Tarzam) and Pampanga-Bataan (Pambat) divisions.
“The project has not been started although the contract has already been awarded so we resolved to just terminate the contract,” Miguel said.
The project encountered a setback after the owner of the land where the Umiray CIP is set to be constructed, lawyer Romeo Roxas, put up a makeshift checkpoint in the barangay, preventing NIA officials and fieldmen from bringing in construction materials to proceed with the project.
Miguel said the project would have made an impact in the community since it will potentially irrigate 100 hectares and benefit at least 50 farmers.
He said they have no choice but to transfer the funding which has already been earmarked under the so-called Fund 101 of the General Appropriations Act.
The funding was actually allocated in 2014 but was carried over to the 2015 because of the RROW stalemate.
The Umiray CIP is only one of two irrigation projects identified in the province. The other was the P18-million Disalit Communal River Irrigation System in San Luis town.
The project site is located in this town’s biggest and second most populous barangay.
Shierwin Taay, executive director of the National Youth Commission (NYC) who hails from this town, said appropriate remedies such as a legal action should be taken against Roxas.
He said the Roxas property is also locked up in a dispute with the provincial government over a provincial road which has allegedly encroached on his land, part of the sprawling estate covering several thousands of hectares which Roxas is eyeing to develop into a master planned industrial complex called the Pacific Coast City.
He said the provincial and municipal governments have already talked with Roxas and his representative but to no avail.
“I think that the provincial government should now take legal action. The government can have the property expropriated,: he said. (Jason de Asis)
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