Mahayag Dam to help 3,000 farmers

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. said he expects the newly rehabilitated Mahayag Dam to directly benefit more than 3,000 farmers in Zamboanga del Sur by ensuring a continuous water supply and improving agricultural yields, as the government moves to strengthen food security and rebuild infrastructure damaged by severe flooding.

Mr. Marcos on Thursday said that the 450-million-peso project is meant to restore a section of the Salug River Irrigation System (SARIS) and expand irrigation services disrupted when the structure partially collapsed following heavy rains in late 2022 and early 2023.

“Through this project, we expect to improve water diversion, irrigation, and other agricultural activities in the region,” Mr. Marcos said in Filipino during his speech at the inauguration.

“It is estimated that more than 3,100 farmers and their families will benefit from this project,” he added.

Originally built in 1967, the Mahayag Dam is part of the SARIS, the largest national irrigation system in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Of the system’s 8,102.58-hectare service area, it provides irrigation to 5,044.28 hectares.

“Alongside the construction of this dam, we also launched 20 solar-powered pump irrigation projects, benefiting 635 farmers in the region,” Mr. Marcos said.

From this year’s national budget, more than P63 billion was allocated for irrigation programs under the National Irrigation Administration, Mr. Marcos said. Nearly P300 billion was earmarked for agriculture programs and projects nationwide, including more than P33 billion for farm-to-market roads and P370 million for such roads in Zamboanga del Sur. Another P731 million was allotted for small-scale irrigation projects in the province. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking