BUSTOS, Bulacan — A study visit to National Irrigation Administration (NIA) projects in Bulacan highlighted practices that help prevent ghost projects from taking place.

Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate finance committee, was briefed by NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen on these practices during recent study tours of the agency’s solar-powered irrigation facility in San Rafael town, as well as the Bustos and Bulo Dams in the province.

Gatchalian noted that these measures include involving stakeholders through NIA’s irrigation associations (IAs), ensuring public participation in the planning and implementation of projects.

“These are very important to prevent irregularities unlike the flood control projects of the Department of Public Works Highways that has no public participations that led to the anomalies kaya maraming nakalusot na ghost projects,” the senator said.

He emphasized that public participation is crucial since stakeholders are well informed about the projects being undertaken.

The senator recalled that Bulacan became controversial when flood control scandals, particularly in the First District, were exposed.

Guillen, together with Central Luzon NIA staff and IA farmer leaders, accompanied the senator during visits to the P28-million Kapatiran Solar Pump Irrigation System in San Rafael, which serves 242.96 hectares and benefits 213 farmers. They also toured Bustos Dam, which irrigates 32,414.83 hectares of ricelands across 16 municipalities in Bulacan and four in Pampanga. Updates were also provided on the proposed P1.5-billion replacement of six rubber bladders at Bustos Dam and the P765-million Bustos Dam Afterbay Structure Project downstream, as well as the Bulo Dam in Doña Remedios Trinidad town.

In a dialogue with NIA and IA officials, Gatchalian learned that solar-powered irrigation projects have the capacity to generate excess renewable energy for the national power grid, potentially lowering household electricity costs.

On the rehabilitation of Bustos Dam, the senator said the contractor responsible for the rubber gates may be summoned to the Senate to explain why it should not face legal sanctions for failing to complete repairs on two gates that were damaged only a few years after completion.

Gatchalian added that his team will continue conducting study visits to various government agencies over the next six months to broaden the committee’s understanding of how allocated funds are being utilized.

📷 Mon Lazaro