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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

4665

HOUSE BILL NO, __

Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero and Enrico A. Pineda

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The National Irigation Administration (NIA) is a govemment-owned and
controlled corporation (GOCC} primarily responsible for irrigation development
in the Philippines

This House Bill seeks to undertake a program for the construction of irrigation
projects in the remaining one million five hundred thousand (1,500,000) hectares
of unirrigated but irrigable lands, whether in the lowlands or in the uplands.
including other related project components nationwide

This House Bill shall give priority to areas with social and economic problems,
taking into consideration population, area served, project cost and other
economic and environmental factors as may be deemed necessary in
undertaking the program within the context of the national development plans.

The National Irrigation Administration, in consultation with the provincial and

municipal development councils, shall determine the areas which shall be given
priority,

Earnest approval of this pitts hereby requested,

J C ym
A, ROMERO Ph.D ENRICO Al PINEDA
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4665

HOUSE BILL NO. __

Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero and Enrico A. Pineda

AN ACT

INCREASING THE CAPITALIZATION OF THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION
ADMINISTRATION (NIA), TO PROMOTE RURAL DEVELOPMENT BY
PROVIDING FOR AN ACCELERATED PROGRAM, AND THE
CONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATION PROJECTS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress
Assembled:

SECTION 1, Declaration of Policy - The State shall hereby provide an
additional Five billion pesos (P5,000,000,000.00) to promote the quality of living
of every Filipino through the provision of adequate social services including, but
not limited to, the provision of adequate irrigation projects facilities to increase
agricultural production.. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is
hereby authorized to provide its appropriations, in the current year of the date
of the effectivity of this Act to conform with its mandate and requirements.


The National Irrigation Administration shall observe the following priorities and

guidelines in the planning, construction and management of irrigation projects:

(a) Funds provided for in this Act shall be used only for the construction of
new irrigation projects;

(b) Priority shall be given to the construction of communal inigation
projects. At least fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be used for
communal irrigation projects;

(c) Priority shall be given to the following:
(1) Beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program;
(2) Members of the indigenous cultural communities;

(3) Beneficiaries in areas where there are farmeriigators
associations; and

(4) Beneficiaries in fifth and sixth class municipalities;

(d) The irrigation projects must be equitably distributed among the
provinces and municipalities, giving priority to those provinces and
municipalities without any irrigation system;

(e) The farmer-beneficiaries of communal irrigation projects shall
participate in all stages of the project. The beneficiaries shall participate in
the project planning, identification, design, management of the project
funds, construction and monitoring;

(f) The beneficiaries of communal irrigation projects shall pay fifty percent
(50%) of the project cost without interest for a period of fifty (50) years:
provided, that, in case the beneficiary dies, his legal heirs or whoever may
own the land benefited by the project at any given time during the term
of payment shall shoulder the remaining obligation of the land; and

(g) The communal irrigation system shall be managed and maintained by
the irrigators association or cooperative. The National Irrigation
Administration shall help organize the irrigators association or cooperative


and shall assist in the conduct of orientation seminars and training to the
members of the said association or cooperative.

SECTION 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations ~ the amount as may be.
necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be taken from any available
appropriations of the National Irrigation Administration under the current
General Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, the succeeding appropriations
for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act until the program shall have been completed.

In addition, the portion of financial grants and concessional loans
extended to the Philippines by foreign governments and multilateral agencies
including, but not limited to the Philippine Aid Plan, the amount to be
determined by the President, shall be allocated by the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM) and augment the appropriations of the National
Irigation Administration until the program is completed as mandated in this Act.

SECTION 3. Funding - the amount of Five billion pesos (P5,000,000,000.00)
as may be necessary to cary out the provisions of this Act shall be included in
the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the year following its enactment into

law.

SECTION 4. Periodic Reports - The NIA shall submit periodic reports on its
findings and make recommendations on actions to be taken by Congress and
Senate and the appropriate department, and in order to carry out the
objectives and mandates of this Act, an additional amount of Five billion pesos
(P5,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated.

SECTION 5. Automatic Review ~- Every three (3) years after the effectivity of
this Act, an independent review panel composed of experts fo be appointed
by the President shall review the policies and programs in the NIA and shall


make recommendations, based on its findings, fo the President and to both
Houses of Congress

SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules
and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. If, for any reason or reasons, any portion
or provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining
provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,