Rome: The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is aiming to irrigate 14,024 hectares of rice lands in its two service areas in Negros Occidental for 2026.

According to Philippines News Agency, data from the Negros Occidental Irrigation Management Office (NIA-NOIMO) indicates that 12,650 hectares cover the service area for the Bago River Irrigation System (BRIS) in Bago City and 1,373 hectares for the Pangiplan River Irrigation System (PRIS) in Himamaylan City.

The BRIS project serves 8,014 farmer-beneficiaries organized into 44 irrigators' associations, while the PRIS project benefits 1,443 farmer-beneficiaries from six irrigators' associations. The NOIMO released this data as it issued a notice of the scheduled dam closure in its two service areas between March and June.

NOIMO Division Manager A Edna Se±adoza stated that all farmer-beneficiaries are encouraged to follow the approved water delivery and distribution schedule set by NIA and the federation of irrigators' associations. This schedule is designed for the Federation of Irrigators' Association of Central Negros (FIACN)-BRIS and PRIS through its System Management Committee.

The closure of the BRIS South District ended on April 30, whereas the North District closure began on May 1 and will continue until June 15. The BRIS North District includes Murcia, Bacolod City, and Bago City, while the South District covers a portion of Bago City, La Carlota City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and San Enrique.

For the PRIS, the total gate closure for District 2 was set from February 16 to April 30, and for District 1 from April 1 to May 15 within the area of Himamaylan City and Binalbagan. Se±adoza noted that the water delivery and distribution schedule has been adopted to support five crops in two years, and the NIA-NOIMO adheres strictly to this approved schedule.

The closure of gates to suspend water delivery facilitates annual clean-up, desilting works, and minor repairs to the irrigation canal and structures. Additionally, the process allows soil to rest, disrupts pest cycles, and prepares for synchronized planting patterns to ensure efficient water delivery throughout the cropping year.