Villaba: President Ferdinand R. Marcos led the inauguration of the PHP1.1 billion Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Villaba, Leyte, on Thursday. The President is optimistic that the project will increase rice productivity in the western side of Leyte province, as farmers will be able to plant twice or three times a year.

According to Philippines News Agency, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) project was designed to cover 2,750 hectares of farmland and will provide the water irrigation needs of 1,820 farmers from the towns of Villaba, Kananga, and Matag-ob, considered rice-producing towns in the province of Leyte. The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas reported that with a massive reservoir capacity of 9.01 million cubic meters, the project aimed to address the perennial challenge of water scarcity during the dry season, providing a reliable and steady supply of irrigation water year-round.

Although the project started more than 15 years ago, it was only recently completed due to several factors, including weather and the unavailability of funding, according to NIA. To supply the water needs of farmers, the turnout or irrigation canals were developed and constructed along rice lands.

For years, farmers in these Leyte towns relied heavily on inconsistent rainfall, often facing significant losses during prolonged dry spells, according to the agriculture department.