President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to look into the modernization and rehabilitation of the Magat Dam.
The dam, constructed in 1975 during the term of the President's father, the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., is a crucial source of irrigation for 85,000 hectares of farmland in Cagayan Valley and generates 540 megawatts of hydroelectric power. However, the dam faces challenges due to siltation, sedimentation, and unsustainable practices like slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and fish caging.
President Marcos acknowledged the dam's importance to the region's agriculture and expressed his desire to improve it. He suggested incorporating solar power into the dam's operations, similar to the recently inaugurated Cabaruan solar-powered irrigation project, as a way to modernize the country's irrigation facilities.
The Cabaruan project, the largest solar-powered irrigation system in the Philippines, irrigates 350 hectares of land and has the potential to generate excess power for nearby communities and households.
President Marcos also encouraged the NIA to explore incorporating power generation capabilities into other irrigation assets nationwide. This initiative aims to maximize the benefits of these facilities and potentially reduce operational costs for farmers.
The President highlighted the government's commitment to expanding the use of solar-powered irrigation, with 152 projects currently under construction and 118 more planned. He vowed to increase the number of such projects in the coming years.