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DAR Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) leads the turnover of Bagbag communal irrigation system (CIS) worth Php 2.23 million to the Federation of Irrigators Association of Aritao.

Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently inaugurated and turned over the Bagbag communal irrigation system (CIS). Worth Php 2.23 million to the Federation of Irrigators Association of Aritao, it will help increase their agricultural production and improve their living conditions.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Dindi M. Tan said the project would benefit a total of 89 farmers in the area, comprising 49 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and 40 non-ARBs. “The previous irrigation system can only accommodate and service a span of 60 hectares of agricultural land. But with the restoration and rehabilitation of the project, it has expanded its service area which can now irrigate and cover 83 hectares of land,” Tan said.

He alaso said, the Bagbag CIS is funded and monitored by the DAR under the regular Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) fund, with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as the lead implementer. “Nawa’y makatulong po itong patubig sa inyong mga sakahan! Free Irrigation sa panahon ni Pangulong Digong,” Tan said during the turnover ceremony.

Officers and members of the Federation of Irrigators Association of Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya expressed their gratitude to NIA and DAR for implementing the project stating that the irrigation system would be of great help for the farmers since they will now be able to increase their rice production especially this planting season. NIA Manager Leonardo Villegas emphasized that the farmers should take good care of the irrigation project so that the future generations would still benefit from it.

Aside from PARPO Tan, those who were present during the event are NIA Manager Leonardo Villegas, Aritao Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Cesar Bautista and officers and members of Federation of Irrigators Association of Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya headed by Diego Abirin and chair of Aritao Irrigation Multi-Purpose Cooperative Celestino Batallones,.

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