DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said Friday that the P2 billion budget allocation for National Irrigation Agency is a victory for farmers. This as the group claimed that the irrigation service will now be subsidized by the government.
KMP’s statement came as President Rodrigo Duterte signed Thursday the Republic Act No. 10924 or the 2017 General Appropriations Act with a total budget of P3.35 trillion.
“We claim this as an initial victory for farmers. Farmers and irrigators associations have launched a nationwide campaign for free irrigation and formed the Pambansang Ugnayan para sa Libreng Irigasyon at Patubig or PATUBIG to assert free irrigation services,” Antonio Flores said, spokesperson of KMP.
“Free irrigation is a necessary government support service to genuinely develop agriculture and foster rural development,” he said.
According to KMP, the free irrigation program “is a significant result of farmers’ decades of assertion and struggle for free irrigation. It’s actually long overdue.”
“It will help reduce the production cost to be shouldered by the farmers,” Flores said of the program.
Flores pointed out that there will be no more collection of irrigation service fees in 2017.
KMP said the additional fund for NIA will be on top of the P30.4-billion intended for construction of new irrigation systems and restoration and rehabilitation of existing irrigation facilities.
“Additional budget for NIA will relieve farmers from paying irrigation services fees, which is among the highest in Asia.” Flores said. “We expect the NIA to issue operating guidelines and memorandum circular on free irrigation in the soonest possible time.”
The group also demanded the permanent abolition of irrigation service fees and the condonation of unpaid back accounts of farmers and irrigators associations that have incurred millions in debt to NIA.
“NIA should also make significant efforts to improve their services,” Flores said.
With 11.6 percent increase from 2016 national budget, 2017’s national budget will be the biggest annual budget approved, according to the Department of Budget and Managenemt. (davaotoday.com)
