President Marcos Urges Swift Action on Ilocos Irrigation Project

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has emphasized the critical need to expedite the PHP37.5 billion Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-Abra Irrigation Project (INISAIP), describing it as long overdue. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, with Marcos at the helm, greenlit the project during their 23rd meeting at Malacañan Palace in Manila on December 17, 2024. Marcos highlighted that the project had been on the agenda for approval since 2018, and he had been briefed on it during his tenure as governor of Ilocos Norte. The irrigation component of INISAIP is set to benefit the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Abra. Marcos also addressed the hydroelectric power aspect of the project, stressing the importance of including it in the initial design to avoid future complications. He noted that previous objections from Abra regarding water sources had been a hurdle, but the new design, as explained by National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen, would ensure benefits for all parties involved, with power generation facilities planned for Abra and Nueva Era in Ilocos Norte. The project, which will be locally financed, includes the construction of an earth and rockfill dam, the Nueva Era afterbay dam, and link canals to irrigate 14,672 hectares during the wet season and 13,256 hectares during the dry season, using the Palsiguan River as the primary water source. The implementation is scheduled from 2025 to 2030 and is expected to benefit 32,604 families. Additionally, Marcos supported the approval of the Accelerated Bridge Construction Project for Greater Economic Mobility and Calamity Response (ABC Project), which involves building seven bridges and viaducts to ease traffic congestion and 22 bridges for calamity response. The ABC Project, costing PHP25.681 billion, will be funded through Official Development Assistance and implemented from January 2025 to December 2029, aiming to enhance connectivity and provide infrastructure for disaster management.