Mayor Roygie Jumamoy hold a coordination meeting in Liloan Sur for the finalization of the Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP) last March 11, 2017 at Liloan Sur, Inabanga together with the 60 farmers, affected land owners in the construction of road, all SB Officials, Municipal Agriculturist Leocadio Torregosa, Liloan Sur and Liloan Norte Barangay Officials headed by Barangay Captains Francis Celmar and Fe Millana.
During the activity, Mayor Roygie Jumamoy presented a powerpoint presentation about the SWIP and its multi-purpose functions and components. The Project Proposal signed by the Board of Directors and Certification from the Municipal Agriculturist were then formally signed by stakeholders to be formally endorsed by the Municipal Mayor and SB Members.
The SWIP, conceptualized by Mayor Roygie in 2015 together with Municipal Agriculturist Leocadio Torregosa and finally proposed by the Liloan Farmers Association, is a water supply system to further sustain their growing agricultural industry especially the cultivation of rice and corn fields. The project has a potential irrigable area of 60-80 hectares with its sources coming from nearby creek, spring, rainfall and surface water run-off .
The irrigation system which is a priority program of Mayor Roygie is funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Small-Scale Irrigation Project (SSIP) Rice Program of 2017. The SWIP will cost P25M and will be constructed and expected to be finished by next year. The area for the irrigation system has already been surveyed by Engr. Epifanio Gaudicos Jr and Co last 1st quarter of 2016 and validated by the Municipal and Barangay Officials. Plans were also laid out to further develop the fields into a tourist destination and create more related livelihood projects and programs.
“I am profoundly happy that this project has been implemented. This was a dream of our forefathers to have an uninterruptible water supply to our farmlands. I am thankful to Mayor Roygie Jumamoy, the whole teamINABANGA and the Department of Agriculture for the fulfillment of this project,†said Liloan Farmers Association President Felipe Celmar.
Liloan Sur and Liloan Norte have a combined land area of 904 hectares with the former being located along the upper Inabanga River. Its proximity to abundant water supply coupled with its vast plains makes it an ideal area for a farmland to flourish. (Inabanga Communications and News Service / ICoNS)