ITOGON, BENGUET – The Mambolo-Tinongdan Small Irrigation System (SIS) will now be operated and maintained by the Tinongdan Indigenous Peoples Organization, Inc. of this municipality after the ceremonial turnover and acceptance held at the barangay hall of Mambolo on October 6, 2023.
Funded under NIA’s Small Irrigation Projects (SIP) amounting to P2.39 million, the Mambolo-Tinongdan SIS irrigates 8 hectares and serves 16 farmer-beneficiaries.
Among the completed facilities include 2 reservoir tanks. 2 intake tanks, 340 meters canal lining, 2 suspended pipe lines, and 1,480 meters 2" high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.
Itogon Councilor Norberto Pacio, who is also the chairperson of the Tinongdan Indigenous Peoples Organization, Inc., expressed gratitude to NIA and urged his members to help one another that if there are problems and concerns regarding the operation and management of the irrigation facilities, they should inform their officers so they can bring them to NIA, LGU or the barangay.
According to Tinongdan Municipal Mayor, Bernard Waclin, they will be supporting the NIA irrigation projects as mining is not the only livelihood in their municipality because they will always return to farming and gardening.
“Nu kitan tayu nga agrabyadu tayo, mabalin i-suggest tayo nu enya ti kayat tayo nga aramiden tapnu awan ti madadael ditoy ayan tayo. So amin nga programa nga umumay dituy nagapu man iti dadduma nga line agency ket supsuportaan tayo dagita,” Waclin added.
Meanwhile, NIA-Benguet Satellite Office Head, Engr. Godofredo Velaque urged the members of the irrigators’ associations to register themselves to the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) which is a program of the Department of Agriculture to give assistance to farmers for maintaining their irrigation systems.
Also present during the turnover were Kagawad Jerome Dasi, Kagawad Ramil Canite, members of the Tinongdan Indigenous People’s Organization, Inc., other LGU officials and NIA-Benguet Satellite Office staff.
Photo caption 1: NIA-Benguet Satellite Office Head, Engr. Godofredo Velaque and President of the Tinongdan Indigenous Peoples Organization, Inc., Mr. Norberto Pacio, who is also a councilor of Itogon, lead the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Mambolo-Tinongdan Small Irrigation System (SIS) in one of the reservoir tanks of the project during the turnover ceremony on October 6, 2023.
Photo caption 2: President of the Tinongdan Indigenous Peoples Organization, Inc. President Mr. Norberto Pacio signs the turnover and acceptance documents as witnessed by Itogon Municipal Mayor Hon. Bernard Waclin, NIA-Benguet Satellite Office Head Engr. Godofredo Velaque, other LGU officials and officers of the organization.
Photo Caption 3: Hon. Bernard Waclin, Mayor of Itogon, Benguet urges the participants of the turnover ceremony of Mambolo-Tinongdan Small Irrigation System and the members of the Tinongdan Indigenous Peoples Organization, Inc. to continue supporting projects of NIA because mining is not the only livelihood in their municipality as they will resort to farming and gardening someday.