Irri-flood control, aquaculture,

tourism, all in Calunasan SRIP

CALUNASAN, Calape Bohol (PIA)—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., officiated the unveiling of the “almost complete” P814 million Calunasan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP), which supports aquaculture, flood management and an added potential for local tourism.

Department of Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, National Irrigation Administration Administrator Eduardo Guillen, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, NIA -7 Regional Manager Eusebio Villamanto and Calape Mayor Jose Junnie Yu joined the president during the milestone ceremony.

Aside from supplying a reliable and sustainable irrigation water to some 300 hectares of rain-fed farms and increase cropping intensity here, the facility manages some 510 million cubic meters of water run-off from the Bakinayao catchment which can otherwise bring destructive floods to the lowland farms, during extreme weather.

Designed to benefit an estimated 400 farmer families in Calunasan, Bonbon, Bentig, Abucayan Norte, Abucayan Sur and Lucob, the zoned-earth fill facility collects in its 2.48 square kilometres catchment enough water to supply for three cropping in the fields that seldom can complete two cropping due to lack of water for irrigation.

Tatlong planting, imbes na dati, hindi ganun. Iba talaga pag may patubig, kaya yung produksyon natin ay biglang tataas yan, ito yung ginagawa natin sa buong Pilipinas, President Marcos said.

(Three croppings, which was unlike then. This is because of irrigation that our production would suddenly spike, this is what we are doing in the entire country.)

Farmer beneficiaries who attended the presidential inspection of the project said the dam opens up “floodgates” of opportunities for them.

“Makatabang man ni siya sa mga mag-uuma nga permanente na gyud nga makatubig kon magkinahanglan na og tubig ang mga basak, maluwas nga gyud siya,” says 46 year old farmer beneficiary Harold Dexter Angalot, who cultivates half a hectare of rice fields in Lucob.

This can help us with a reliable supply of irrigation water, when the farms need, this can save our farms.

Farmers in the lower catchment of the Calunasan Creek then said they would start the planting season but with the farms relying on the run-off from the creek, they can hardly get water for irrigation.

Marcelo Sineca, 65 years old and SRIP beneficiary said he won’t worry now, because with the irrigation, they do not have to gamble anymore every time they start the planting season.

Bakinayao Farmers Irrigators Association president Miguelito Migue earlier shared that planting here has always been a gable.

Murag risgo kayo sa among mga mag-uuma nga walay assurance nga makaaani mi, labi na kon dry season, mao nga nga madiscourage kay taman ra sa tanum, unya mamatay na dayun.

President Marcos, who flew in this mountain catchment through chopper also saw the opportunity for tourism in the facility which is surrounded by a modest forest cover.

Ito ngang lugar na ito, ang nagging karanasan namin, yung mga tinatayo naming mga ganito na mga dam, mga small water impounding projects, nagiging tourism destination, the president pointed out.

He accordingly told Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado to build a roofed facility so people can have picnic, have coffee which relishing the environment.

The over 2 kilometers of impounding sits in the natural catchment in the middle of a secondary forest, with a good forest cover that assures reliable water and natural erosion-control. The water is about 30 meters deep in its deepest section and the artificial lake is fringed with tall trees and a few exposed areas which the dam earth works left.

In an interview, Bakinayao Farmers Irrigators Association president Miguelito Migue said they already agreed to conduct more tree planting activities especially along the water impounding edges, to prevent erosion.

All the officers, we agreed to be always on the lookout, with National Irrigation Administration, we will take care of this.

Sa wala pa maporma kining dam, ang LGU sa Calape, nagplano na nga once nga mahuman ni, magsugod na sa tourism, Migue shared.

Usa sa among plano, nga magbutang mig fish culture dire, aron madugangan ang among mga livelihood ug income, Migue said.

Calunasan SRIP is among NIA-7 projects which care slated to irrigate a combined area of over 14,000 hectares.

These projects also include the Mabini-Cayacay Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP) to irrigate farm lands in Mabini ang Alicia, Bonotbonot SRIP in Buenavista, the Hibale SRIP in Danao and the Malinao Dam Improvement Project in Pilar, which can potentially serve farms in Sierra Bullones and the farms in the lower tributaries of Wahig Pamacsalan river.

The said projects also come as a crucial support to Bohol’s attaining a much higher rice self sufficiency to be able to supply the staple to its projected over a million tourists and the 1.4 million Boholanos. (PIABohol)

BEFORE THE SRIP. Calape has been among Bohol’s modest rice producing towns, credited to the diligence of its farmers in cultivating low land fields which are at the mercy of the rains. With the new facility that is designed to make stable and reliable water available year-round, it may not be long before the increase in production can be noted. (PIABohol/NIA7)

ORCHESTRATING IMPACT PROJECTS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who inspected and unveiled the marker of the P814M Calunasan SRIP said in no time would Bohol see a spike in its harvest with 400 hectares now added to its irrigated farmlands capable of three planting seasons every year. (PIABohol)