Philippines : Southern Philippines Irrigation Sector

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development /

The Government's key development objective is reduction of poverty in rural areas through increased farm productivity and diversification of the rural economy. To support the Government's objective, the Bank's strategic approach to poverty reduction in the Philippines includes, inter alia, rural development through development of new irrigation systems, improvement of existing irrigation systems, strengthening O&M, provision of agricultural support services and inputs, and the development and implementation of mechanisms for more effective participation and irrigators' associations (IAs) capacity building. Investments in irrigation and associated human resource development are considered an effective intervention to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living of poor agrarian communities which have suffered from the financial crisis and El Nino-induced drought. The proposed Project will have a positive impact on agricutural production and poverty reduction. The Project provides an ideal setting for addressing poverty reduction, in accordance with the Government's and the Bank's strategies, in view of the higher incidence of poverty in the Project area.

The Project as a key element of ADB's operational partnership with Philippines supports the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, and local government and community organizations to manage these systems.

Increase agricultural production and crop diversification through user participation in irrigation development or improvement projects and subsequent system management. Enhance rural incomes in the southern Philippines from P8,000 to P12,500 (1998 price) by 2005 in the Project area.

Increase agricultural production and crop diversification through user participation in irrigation development or improvement projects and subsequent system management.

Based on an initial assessment, in Calayagon CIS, per capita income increased to P16,460, while in Gibong RB RIS, cropping intensity increased to 3.63 t/ha and 4.91 t/ha in wet and dry season, respectively; in Calayagon CIS, cropping intensity are 3.74 t/ha and 3.68 t/ha in wet and dry season. These indicate that the project's objective will be met with the completion of the selected subprojects.

Actual irrigated in the last cropping season in the period January-August 2009 is 3,645 hectares or about 55% of the actual area generated and rehabilitated (area where new irrigation facilities are provided and existing facilities rehabilitated).

1. Participation and Transfer

Irrigators' Association (IA) organization and capacity building

Genuine user participation

Transfer of completed systems to IAs

2. Physical Infrastructure

Communal irrigation systems

National irrigation systems

Small reservoir irrigation systems

Access roads

3. Environmental and Social Measures

Watershed management

Resettlement

Schistosomiasis control

Indigenous peoples development plan

4. Project Management

The Project has been physically completed on 30 June 2010, with some remaining minor works to be undertaken by the Government after the said date. Since 15 October 2010, the Executing Agency commenced activities in gathering data for preparation of its Project Completion Report which will be submitted to ADB in early 2011. Subsequently, ADB will do conduct a Project Completion Review mission.

1. The IAs are all organized and registered with the SEC in the core subprojects; and construction MOAs for each core subproject have been signed. In the non-core subprojects farmer-beneficiaries formed into informal groups in the new areas and TSAGs activated in the existing systems to facilitate group activities and capacity building. SMAD (Systems Management and Agricultural Development) in Gibong Right Bank, Calayagon and Can-asujan subprojects are ongoing while in other subprojects are in the preparatory stage. Two core subprojects are under joint management system (JSM) and moving towards JSM 2.

2. Construction of 1 CIS and 1 SRIS have been completed while 1 CIS, 5 NIS and 2 SRIS are in various stages of project implementation; 18.53 km access roads have been constructed

3. Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) of all the subprojects have been completed while ECC compliance still ongoing; MMT (Multi-Partite Moitoring Teams) activities ongoing and in various stages; Watershed Management Plan (WMP) and LARPs are in various stages of preparation and implementation. Schistosomiasis control activites have been completed, except in Lanao/ARMM. The certificate of precondition for the Baobo SP has been issued by the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP). For the Cantillan SP, no certificate was issued because the Memorandum of Agreement among the tribal leaders, DENR, and LGUs was not signed. For Aclan-Amontay, no certification was issued since the LGU, who has responsibility over this subproject lack funds to undertake it.

4. Core staff continuously focused on activities such as (i) combining and integrating approach to the planning and programming of the subprojects infrastructure development with participation and transfer component, and the compilation of activity specification for the project implementation manual covering feasibility study and detailed engineering design; (ii) reviewing and revising the action plan considering the revised costing to support SPMOs activities for 3 core-subprojects and 10 non-core subprojects; (iii) continuing facilitation of the utilization of the imprest fund account of the project; and (iv) continuing the coordination activities with the other various offices of the agencies concerned in the Project.

Beneficiaries are involved in the implementation of the Project and operation and maintenance of completed infrastructure.

Extensive field level consultations were conducted as part of project participatory process.