P1.8-B NIA project to boost irrigation,

flood protection in Pilar, Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—The Malinao Dam will hold nearly twice as much water once the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) finishes a P1.8 billion upgrade, giving Bohol farmers steadier irrigation.

The Malinao Dam Improvement Project (MDIP) will raise the dam’s storage capacity from 5 million cubic meters to about 9 million cubic meters, the NIA in Central Visayas said.

About 799 farmers tilling 740 hectares are expected to benefit, especially those at the tail end of the irrigation canals, where water runs short, the agency said.

The project supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to government agencies to expand irrigation service areas nationwide in 2027.

The proposed 2027 national budget includes P30.44 billion for NIA’s irrigation services program, which would develop 11,153 hectares of new irrigation service areas.

How the upgrade works

The NIA is modifying the dam’s existing bathtub spillway and building an auxiliary spillway.

Both will have automated rubber weirs that can raise the spillway crest by up to 2 meters, letting the dam store more water.

The dam's capacity has been limited by its small reservoir and by silt that has built up since it began operations in 1996, said Felix Guioguio, head of the Malinao Irrigation System.

Water runs short in the dry season, while heavy rains bring more water than the dam can hold, Guioguio said.

The dam also supplies the integrated Bayongan and Capayas dams.

“Pinaagi sa MDIP, gilauman nga mas mapaayo ang pagdumala sa tubig ug mapalig-on ang kapasidad sa dam sa pagdumala sa sobra nga tubig panahon sa kusog nga ulan (Through the MDIP, we expect better water management and a stronger capacity to handle excess water during heavy rains),” he said.

The added storage will help farmers keep planting through dry spells as the government prepares farms for a strong El Niño.

Safer communities downstream

The project is also expected to improve flood protection for communities downstream

In January 2023, heavy rains pushed the dam’s water level past its capacity.

The NIA in Central Visayas then advised residents near the Wahig River in Pilar to evacuate.

As of Sept. 30, first phase was 30% complete and the second phase 13% complete, the NIA in Central Visayas said. Both phases are expected to be finished in 2028. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

The on-going Malinao Dam Improvement Project (MDIP) implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 7. Once finished, the project is expected to make water delivery to agricultural communities more reliable, improve the operation of the integrated irrigation systems that depend on the dam, and bolster the safety and efficiency of this vital water facility in Bohol. (photo from NIA-7)

Catigbian: first LGU to fully

adopt integrated eLGU app

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Catigbian prides itself as the first among Bohol local government units (LGUS) to completely enrol in the government’s eGovPh and formalized its use of the integrated e-Local Government Unit (e-LGU) system.

This allows the town residents with LGU transactions to simply go online and transact digitally via the eLGU app which integrates all its local transactions like business applications, community tax applications, local registry services, real property tax and similar local tax transactions and even the reporting of local concerns, Department of Information, Communications and Technology (DICT) Bohol chief Victor Magallanes confirmed.

Magallanes also said that, while some Bohol LGUs have been using some of the earlier e-LGU featured services, it is still Catigbian, which has now formally made all the DICT-developed app available for its residents.

Stepping boldly into the government’s digitalization initiative with the help of the DICT, Catigbian, under Mayor Benjie Oliva and the Sangguniang Bayan under Vice Mayor Esteban Angilan, made history for the town, which has also adopted the Paleng-QR Plus, in their local financial transactions.

Before, residents doing local transactions would have to physically visit offices, spending fares, precious time and take their turns in a queue sometimes, hand-carrying documents that sometimes get misplaced, crumpled or stained by handling, SB secretary Ardissa Estavilla shared.

Now, Catigbian residents do not have to do that.

By integrating all of these under the Catigbian eLGU app, Mayor Oliva believes it facilitates much faster transactions, reduces unnecessary office visits, and cuts repetitive paperwork.

It can also reduce transportation costs, printing and other expenses associated with government transactions, while it can improve government efficiency with the connectivity with other participating agencies and LGUs through the digitally linked services.

This also makes it easier for the public to access the services online, as residents who live far from government offices can simply initiate the transaction from their homes of business bases.

Mayor Oliva said the move, although it may be hard for starters, is in line with Republic Act No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

It supports the streamlining and improvement of government services, and the eLGU system has been developed in line with this objective.

And because the Catigbian e-LGU app was launched and integrated with Paleng-QR Ph, even payments system for local taxes and other regulatory fees can now be cashless.

How does this work for Catigbian residents?

With a downloaded official eGovPH Super app from google play or Apple App Store, one verifies his profile in the app, and then he can start accessing the eLGU services module.

He then needs to select Municipality of Catigbian and navigate to the transaction one wants to complete. (PIAbohol)

CEDULA IN A PINDOT. Catigbian has again led Bohol LGUS by pioneering the full use of the DICT-developed integrated eLGU app, which allows its residents to transact local services online, making for a faster, more accessible, inclusive and efficient service. Here, Mayor Oliva, with DICT Bohol head Magallanes and local officials witness the launching ceremony. (PIAbohol)