Calinog: The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) central office is considering a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement for the bulk water component of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in the municipality of Calinog, Iloilo.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a media forum on Wednesday, NIA-6 (Western Visayas) Regional Manager and JRMP II Project Manager Engr. Jonel Borres indicated that presentations have been made to the NIA Board, and the memorandum of agreement (MOA) is still being finalized. The project management office is awaiting final information and instructions from the central office.
"They are still finalizing the MOA. Our information from the central office is that they consider government-to-government, which is more beneficial to the government and the people," Borres stated, though the name of the entity involved was not disclosed. The bulk water component is expected to generate approximately 86,400 cubic meters of water per day to satisfy the water demand in the city and province of Iloilo. This is considered a sustainable solution to address the inadequate supply of potable water in Metro Iloilo amid ongoing development and rapid population growth.
The JMRP II project is reported to be 86.16 percent complete as of the end of June 2026. It is currently in the process of completing the irrigation component, with its main structures, including the 109-meter-high dam, the 38-meter afterbay dam, and the 10-meter catch dam, already finished.
During its construction phase, the project delivered irrigation water to about 500 hectares of farmland in the Zone 1 Main Canal 2 last year, allowing an initial 149 farmers to plant rice for a third cropping within a single agricultural cycle. The JRMP II project is anticipated to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2028. Once operational, it will continuously provide irrigation water to 31,840 hectares of new and existing farmland, benefiting around 25,000 farmers. This is expected to significantly increase rice production to 300,000 metric tons annually from 140,000.
