By Edalyn B. Acta
The budget for the actual construction of the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) remains uncertain.
The Western Visayas regional office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-6) disclosed the agency does not yet have the ideal funding to begin construction.
NIA-6 Regional Manager Engr. Jonel Borres said it is requesting an initial P6.5 billion budget next year in order to start actual construction of PRBIDP before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. steps down in 2028.
During the recent presidential visit, Governor Fredenil “Oto” Castro told President Marcos how Capiznons are hopeful that PRBIDP, which was planned during the administration of Marcos Sr., would be started in the present administration.
Borres also said NIA-6 is operating short of PRBIDP’s requested budget of P4.5 billion this year with only P420 million approved. This money is utilized for pre-construction works including the completion of the detailed engineering design and updated feasibility study.
It was previously announced that the entire PRBIDP would cost around P20 billion and would surpass NIA’s major dam project in Iloilo province, which until now is not completed.
Borres said the entire cost of PRBIDP will also rise since the costing of P20 billion was a calculation made in 2017.
The PRBIDP that will rise in Tapaz is mainly going to have an irrigation component with a high dam, an after bay dam and a canal system that will benefit 15 municipalities.
The PRBIDP will also serve Jamindan, Dumalag, Sigma, Mambusao, Dao, Cuartero, Maayon, Panay, Panitan, Pontevedra, and Roxas City.
The PRBIDP also has components for flood control, bulk water supply and hydroelectricity.
Caption
The computer-generated perspective of the dam under the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP). (Courtesy of NIA-6)
