PHP6.5-B BUDGET SOUGHT: Panay dam project could start before 2028

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The National Irrigation Administration in Western Visayas (NIA-6) is pushing for a PHP6.5 billion allocation in 2027 to start major civil works for the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) in Tapaz, Capiz, before 2028, as detailed engineering design (DED) and feasibility study (FS) activities near completion.

NIA-6 Regional Manager Engr. Jonel Borres said Tuesday, April 28, that the agency is lobbying for funding to jumpstart construction, particularly for the key afterbay dam in Barangay Garcia, Tapaz.

“What we have requested for 2027 is PHP6.5 billion for the actual construction. We need to have this lobbied and included in the next quarter. We need that big-ticket project endorsed to the NIA Central Office and the National Economic and Development Authority,” he said.

Borres said the agency is targeting approval of the project and its funding by the fourth quarter of 2027 to ensure that “significant improvement,” including construction of the afterbay dam, will be underway before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.

The afterbay dam is designed to regulate water flow for irrigation and flood control and will complement a 102-meter-high reservoir dam in Barangay Acuña as part of the broader multi-billion-peso project.

In 2026, Borres said NIA-6 proposed PHP4.5 billion for the project, but only PHP420 million was approved in the final budget.

He said the approved amount is being used for pre-construction activities, including the FS and DED.

Borres noted that the original PHP4.5 billion proposal was intended to fund the construction of the afterbay dam.

“We are not looking at it as unfortunate because we have PHP420 million, and this amount is very critical at our stage of FS and the finalization of our DED,” he said.

He added that the FS and DED, which are being undertaken simultaneously, are about 80% complete, with remaining work focused on service area surveys and right-of-way inventories.

Borres said the project’s inclusion in the priority list of the National Economic and Development Authority and the NIA Executive Committee this year aims to ensure the completion of the updated feasibility study and engineering design.

He added that this will also allow for updated cost estimates for the project.

The PRBIDP was previously estimated at PHP20.786 billion based on 2017 figures, but Borres said the cost is expected to increase due to inflation and updated project parameters.

“We are nearing its realization. We have the updated FS; we already have the data that we need. We have more than 100 people working for the PRBIDP. They are in the mountains, there are people for the geotechnical and institutional aspect just to complete our preparation,” Borres said.

NIA plans to implement the project under a design-and-build scheme, in which the contractor will be responsible for both design and construction based on the agency’s minimum performance standards and specifications.

This approach is expected to streamline project delivery by integrating design and construction phases and enabling faster implementation.

The PRBIDP includes a multipurpose high dam, an afterbay dam, extensive canal systems, hydropower generation, flood mitigation, and bulk water supply components.

The project is expected to be completed within six to eight years after the start of construction.

Once completed, the PRBIDP is expected to protect about 26,800 hectares of agricultural land from flooding and generate around 18.42 megawatts of hydropower.

It is also projected to ensure a steady water supply and support the livelihoods of at least 25,046 farmers across the province.