Jalaur dam project to boost food security

By Mariela Angella Oladive

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to inaugurate the P19 billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II (JRMP II) today, July 16, in Calinog, Iloilo, marking a significant milestone for regional agricultural and infrastructural development.

The project, spanning several decades and multiple administrations, aims to enhance food security and address inflation rates exacerbated by rice shortages in the region.

Former Senator Franklin Drilon, who was instrumental in securing funding for the project, expressed gratitude toward the current administration for its unwavering support.

“I want to express my appreciation to the present administration for the support it has given to this project which will be a game changer in so far as our poverty situation in Iloilo is concerned,” Drilon said during a virtual press conference on Monday, July 15.

“This project spans for at least three presidents and I’m glad we are seeing its completion with the President coming to inaugurate it,” he added.

The JRMP II features key components such as a 109-meter high dam, 38.5-meter afterbay dam, and 10-meter catch dam, designed to facilitate year-round irrigation.

It is expected to benefit 25,000 farmer families by enabling rice production on 31,840 hectares of land, potentially increasing yields by over 300 metric tons.

In addition to bolstering agricultural output, the project will address water scarcity issues in Iloilo City by providing approximately 86,000 cubic meters of water daily. It is also set to contribute 6.8 megawatts of electricity to the region’s power grid.

Originally first implemented in the 1960s, the JRMP II encountered financial setbacks until its revival in 2011 under the administration of the late President Benigno C. Aquino III, with financing secured by Drilon through a USD 207 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

The project’s completion was further facilitated by an additional P8 billion budget allocation under the current administration.

Drilon emphasized the project’s pivotal role in stabilizing rice prices and addressing inflation, saying, “The key to controlling inflation lies in sufficient food production, particularly rice. This is what Jalaur aims to have – sufficient rice production and giving our kasimanwa (countrymen) an opportunity to buy rice at lower cost,” he said.

Acknowledging the project’s challenges and achievements, he highlighted its significance among his other contributions to Iloilo’s infrastructure consisting of the airport, road widening, Iloilo Convention Center, and Esplanade.

“I would consider this as my most challenging and most satisfying legacy that I will leave to my kasimanwa in Iloilo because this could help our farmers, increase their production, and lower the price of rice because of the sufficient supply,” he said.

With major project components already completed, including the 109-meter high dam, 38.5-meter afterbay dam, and 10-meter catch dam, and the 80.74-kilometer high line canal nearing finalization, the JRMP II promises to bolster agricultural productivity, strengthen regional infrastructure, and enhance economic stability in Iloilo and surrounding areas.