After Jalaur, NIA to begin another dam project in 2025

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) announced its target to start the P19.78 billion Panay River Basin Development Project (PRBIDP) next year.

“By next year, we will commence the acquisition of the right of way and permits,” NIA Administrator Engr. Eduardo Eddie Guillen said. He noted that they hope the project will be fully operational by 2026.

Guillen added that the project might be completed earlier than the target date if NIA secures the necessary budget.

“If we have savings from our 2024 budget, we will commence the project immediately,” he said.

The construction of the roller-compacted concrete dam component will be swift, and the dam can be completed in less than 18 months, according to Guillen.

The NIA head said they propose constructing the project under the Design-and-Build (DB) scheme.

“What’s nice about the DB scheme is we can expedite the implementation of the project by an average of three years, which means we can finish the project before the president’s term ends,” he emphasized.

In the DB approach, the contractor is responsible for both designing and constructing the project. Unlike traditional procurement methods, the DB approach emphasizes performance by defining the desired outcomes of the infrastructure without detailing the exact design and construction techniques.

NIA’s role in this scheme is to provide the Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications, and the contractor then creates the design and constructs the facility in accordance with these standards.

The PRBIDP is among the 10 Infrastructure Flagship Projects of the Regional Development Council-Western Visayas. It is also listed as a key project in the Western Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.

The PRBIDP will cover Roxas City and nearby towns, including Maayon, Panay, Panitan, Pontevedra, Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Jamindan, Mambusao, Sigma, and Tapaz. The project will also benefit Bingawan, Lemery, and San Rafael in Iloilo.

Earlier this March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed NIA to complete the construction of the PRBIDP by 2028.

The project involves constructing a reservoir or high dam and an afterbay dam in Tapaz town in Capiz.

It aims to address perennial flooding in Capiz through the construction of a dam or reservoir, floodway, cut-off channels, and the improvement of major and secondary drains.

The initiative is expected to protect around 11,460 hectares in the Panay basin that are highly prone to flooding.