NIA assures sufficient irri

water to sustain cropping

TAGBILARAN CITY Bohol (PIA)— Despite the state weather bureau’s El Niño Alert which ups the dry season probability of 79 percent, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Region 7 says the two huge dams in Bohol can still supply for the water requirements of a combined 5,000 hectares of rice lands for this entire cropping season.

In fact, NIA Bohol Integrated Irrigation Systems (BIIS) head Engr. Beverly Joy Pocot-Cadorna said they are ready to release irrigation water to irrigators associations served by Malinao and Bayongan Dams starting May 18.

Integrated as irrigation systems, Malinao Dam is designed to divert when its water reaches elevation 151.6 meters, to Bayongan dam, which could explain why the Malinao dam levels went down as reported last week.

That time too, Malinao dam conducted its annual maintenance activities, including the continuing de-silting operations of the main canal: these activities lowered the water levels, which allowed personnel access to repaint the irrigation duct pipes, the NIA official explained.

The diverted water filled Bayongan Dam, which is now ready for the wet cropping seasons, Engr. Cadorna added.

According to NIA, Malinao dam can serve about a thousand hectares of farmlands this cropping season, while Bayongan, owing to its huge water reservoir capacity, can sustain even after two croppings.

The Malinao dam gates have been closed after it has given water to Bayongan, and the dam level has risen again.

While Malinao dam has been designed to store a total of 5.9 million cubic meters at 152 meter in full water surface level, it can give water to Bayongan dam before its water spills at 152 meters.

This allows Malinao Dam to irrigate 4,100 hectares of farmlands of Pilar, Dagohoy, parts of San Miguel, parts of Ubay and parts of Alicia.

On the other hand, Bayongan Dam, which is acclaimed as the largest dam on Central Visayas with a storage capacity of 25.1 million cubic meters at 52 meters full water surface level.

As designed, Bayongan Dam covers 4,100 hectares, and with Capayas Dam it also serves, total coverage can reach 5,300 hectares, according to data from the NIA.

Bayongan operational performance as to irrigation coverage has fluctuated depending on the rainfall and drought conditions, its highest reported coverage was 4,300 hectares in 2024.

With the two dams’ combined irrigation coverage for this cropping season, authorities estimate some 5,000 hectares of rice lands assured of sustained water supply until the terminal stage for harvest.

Aside from the two major dams, NIA also keeps Small Reservoir Irrigation Systems covering at least hundreds for hectares of rice lands, which, with proper and strict water management, would have water lasting until the start of the southern monsoons.

In the Philippines, the monsoon often brings the much needed respite, even with the long dry spells wreaking havoc in huge agriculturally productive areas. (PIAbohol)

DIVERTING. Even with a visibly low water level of the Malinao Dam as it is not spilling, chances are it can not spill yet because its spillway to Bayongan Dam is opened. As soon as Bayongan and Capayas dams which are integrated in Malinao irrigation system fill, the spill way is closed and that is the time when Malinao spills. NIA, which manages Malinao dam is readying for the El Nino, where water inflow to the Pilar reservoir can be reduced. (PIABohol)