JRMP implementation remains ahead of schedule

The implementation of Iloilo’s biggest irrigation development project is still right on track amidst the heightened quarantine status in the Province and City of Iloilo.

Heeding to the need for the 11.2 billion Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) to be completed by the end of 2023, the Project Management Office (PMO) is taking the lead in ensuring that the ongoing construction implementation remains uninterrupted despite the Covid 19 pandemic.

For the first semester of the year, covering the period of January-June 2021, the PMO reported that the overall physical accomplishment of the project was at 43.18% or 4.19% more of its target within the said period which is 38.99%.

The overall physical accomplishment of JRMP II covered its Infrastructure, Environmental, and Social components.

The infrastructure component includes the simultaneous construction of the three dams, the canals, and other appurtenances.

In June 2021, the PMO and international contractor DAEWOO Engineering and

Construction (DEC) commenced the placement of the concrete body of the 109-meter high Jalaur High Dam, the reservoir dam of the project, through the Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) method.

The RCC method is a new technology adopted worldwide as an alternative to conventional concrete due to its economic value, high performance, and high speed of construction.

As of this writing, the DEC has already placed and compacted an estimated 7.5 meters out of the 109 meters body of the High Dam.

Meanwhile, the construction of the downstream coffer dam for the 38.5-meter high Jalaur Afterbay Dam, the project’s regulating dam is likewise on-going.

The coffer dam is part of river diversion facilities that will ensure the location of the Afterbay Dam will be dry and conducive for construction without disrupting the flow of the Jalaur River.

DEC is likewise on the final stage of completing the 10-meter Alibunan River Catch Dam.

The first to be completed among the three dams, the Catch Dam will provide irrigation to more than 500 hectares of farmlands in portions of the Municipality of Calinog and nearby municipalities.

Construction of the 80.736km High Line Canal, the main conveyance structure of JRMP II,  is simultaneously ongoing in the Municipalities of Calinog, Lambunao, Janiuay and Cabatuan.

The Catch Dam is expected to be completed within the 3rd quarter of this year.

For the Environmental and Social (ES) Components of the project, implementation and monitoring of ES impact management are continuing.

No less than the Korean ES Monitoring Team of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), loan provider of JRMP II, is on top of ensuring that ES impact management and monitoring are complied by NIA.

The Multi-Partite Monitoring Team (MMT) headed by the Iloilo Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Officer has likewise been conducting due diligence missions at the project site despite the COVID 19 pandemic.

Delivery of development commitments to the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Community in Calinog are also ongoing through the Inter-Agency Convergence Mechanism for JRMP II composed of 25 National Government Agencies (NGA) and 2 Local Government Units (LGU).

All these activities of JRMP II fully subscribe to the guidelines and protocols instituted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and by the Local Government Units (LGU).

At the helm of project implementation is Engineer Jonel B. Borres, Acting Project Manager of NIA-JRMP II, who calls for continued support for the implementation of JRMP II.

According to Engr. Borres, the project is on a critical path as current activities will affect the completion date of the project.

JRMP II is a timely development project that enjoys the support of NIA Top Management under the able leadership of Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, national and local government leaders, local stakeholders, the farmers and the Indigenous Cultural Communities. /JRMP II Steve E. Cordero