Miagao, Iloilo Irrigator’s group champs BSWM national search

Durog Irrigators’ Association (IA) of Miagao, Iloilo will be granted with ₱1 million worth of project by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bureau of Soils and Water Management’s (BSWM) as the national winner in the search for the most outstanding Small Water Irrigation System Association (SWISA) this year.

Serving more than 50 hectares of irrigated rice areas, Durog IA emerged champion based on the organizational performance, irrigation water system maintenance, water distribution plan and strategies, financial management, rice production yield, conflict management, and mobilization of local resources.

Association president Fe Rem Ninofranco said that they will utilize the cash award to be given on November 27 to procure equipment to solve the frequent problem in their rice fields brought by flooding.

“Gamiton namon bakal sang mini-backhoe kay naga-guba amon irrigation canal kung mag-awas ang tubig sa Tumagboc River. Mga tatlo guid ka semana nga gina-manu-mano kay-o sang mga miyembro kung magsulod ang tubig sa intake canal,” she said.

Established in 2012, the association with 40 rice farmer-members, had started receiving interventions from production inputs to machinery and training from DA since 2016 through the support of the Municipal Agriculture Office of Miagao.

“We are grateful that our farmers received vegetable seeds, inbred and hybrid seeds, fertilizer, pump and engine set, solar pump, four-wheel drive tractor, rice combine harvester, flatbed dryer, and granule applicator from DA,” she added.

DA projects and services had enabled higher rice farming productivity and improved income of farmer-members in Brgy. Durog, according to Ninofranco.

Durog IA was also one of the national finalists in the 2018 search and had received a ₱100,000 award from BSWM.

Another ₱200,000 worth of projects were granted to their association as the most outstanding SWISA of Western Visayas in 2019.

“Using the cash award we received, we were able to buy a rotavator and carried out a major repair of the damaged concrete canal in our irrigation system,” she said.

Frea Monsale, assigned agricultural extension worker to Brgy. Durog and recently installed as Miagao OIC municipal agriculturist said that the association significantly contributes to the attainment of their town’s rice-self sufficiency.

“With the help of DA, BSWM, and the Municipal Agriculture Office of Miagao through former municipal agriculturist Raymundo Monroy, Durog IA members were able to obtain more than 4 metric tons per hectare average yield in rice production,” Monsale said.

To further boost their yield performance, Durog IA will be planting hybrid rice seeds in the entire 50 hectares service area by the next wet cropping season. (Sheila Mae H. Toreno/DA-RAFIS 6)