REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
QUEZON CITY 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 938 
Introduced by Representative SHIRLYN L. BAÑAS-NOGRALES
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to establish an Irrigation Management Office (IMO) of the National 
Irrigation Administration (NIA) in General Santos City. 
Irrigation systems are essential for farmers, supporting the planting, cultivation, and 
protection of crops against drought, pests, pollution, and the impacts of climate change. The 
National Irrigation Administration (NIA), created under Republic Act No. 3601, oversees the 
construction, improvement, and management of irrigation systems nationwide through its 
Irrigation Management Offices (IMOs). 
At present, farmers in General Santos City must travel approximately 67 kilometers to the 
NIA office in Koronadal City to access irrigation-related services. This distance results in 
significant time, cost, and inconvenience, compounded by traffic and weather conditions. 
Establishing an IMO in General Santos City will bring NIA services closer to local 
farmers, reducing travel burdens and enabling more efficient delivery of irrigation support. This 
will help boost agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ incomes, and spur economic growth 
in General Santos and nearby areas in South Cotabato. 
SHIRLYN L. BAÑAS-NOGRALES 
July 1, 2025
3:25 pm


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
QUEZON CITY 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 938 
Introduced by Representative SHIRLYN L. BAÑAS-NOGRALES
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING AN IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF 
THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION IN GENERAL 
SANTOS CITY, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION  1.  There is hereby established an irrigation management office of 
the National Irrigation Administration in General Santos City. The irrigation 
management office shall be responsible for the construction, improvement, and 
rehabilitation  of irrigation projects, and implement the operation and maintenance 
plans of irrigation systems in collaboration with the farmer-beneficiaries. The 
irrigation management office shall also provide frontline services of the National 
Irrigation Administration in the conduct of its business and in the exercise of its 
powers and functions as provided under Republic Act No. 3601, as amended, 
entitled “An Act  Granting the  National  Irrigation  Administration”,  
and 
such 
additional powers and functions as hereafter be provided by law. 
SECTION 2.  The chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National  
Irrigation  Administration  shall  appoint  the  necessary officers  and  employees  to  
operate  the  irrigation  management office in the City of General Santos, subject 
to civil service laws, rules, and regulations. 
SECTION 3.  Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the 
chairperson of 
the 
Board  of  Directors  of 
the 
National 
Irrigation 
Administration shall, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior and Local 
Government, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 4.  The amount necessary for the Initial implementation of  thisAct 
shall be charged 
to the current 
Appropriations 
of 
the 
National 
Irrigation 
Administration.  Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued 
implementation shall be included  in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,