The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is set to build a free solar-powered irrigation project in Bgy. Iran, Rizal, Palawan.

The said project is the Establishment of Ground Water Pump Irrigation Project (EGPIP) which costs P4 million and is expected to irrigate an eight-hectare farm.

Four farmers will benefit from this in Barangay Punta-Baja, Rizal, Palawan.

The Iraan EGPIP is an extension of the current Iraan Communal Irrigation System (CIS) whose beneficiaries are members of the Katiringan Irrigation Association and Libtong, Inc. in Barangay.

Therefore, the operation and maintenance will be carried out by such an organization.

On April 14, the NIA-Palawan Irrigation Management Office (IMO) held a pre-construction meeting with the irrigation association in Bgy. Iraan to make the specification of Iraan EGPIP transparent to farmers.

The construction of the Iraan EGPIP is an alternative way for NIA to irrigate rural areas in conjunction with NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visayas ’goal to increase the implementation of modern technology derived from solar energy will be useful in the long run.

According to NIA-Palawan Irrigation Management Office (IMO) Division Manager Conrado V. Cardenas Jr., the solar irrigation to be built is expected to take 15 years due to the high-quality submersible pumps that will be installed here and it can irrigate up to 25 hectares of farm in the future.

The Iraan EGPIP is the second solar pump to be built by the NIA in Palawan following the successful construction of the first solar pump in Brgy. Isumbo, Española, Palawan in 2020.

Samahang Magpapatubig ng Katiringan and Libtong, Inc., led by their president, President Albino Apostol, Jr. to the NIA on the irrigation project granted to them.