A group of farmers in Iraan, Rizal has asked the provincial government to build concrete drainage in their area to address the frequent flooding on their rice fields.
Irrigators Association president Albino Apostol said that the flooding problem in Iraan affects over 50 hectares of rice fields.
“Humihingi kami ng tulong na sana ay maaksyunan nila ‘yan kasi kung hindi nila kami tulungan, wala kaming magawa. Maghintay lang kami kung anong darating sa amin,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.
Apostol said that the flooding frequently happened in Iraan rice fields due to the lack of proper drainage.
“Kailangan talaga dyan ay malaking drainage. Hindi na sakop ng barangay Iraan yong creek na pinanggagalingan, sa Punta Baja kasi sa taas nanggagaling yong source ng tubig. Malaking creek kasi yan. Kapag umulan, buo yan pabababa kaya nag-o-overflow,” he said.
He said that the effect of the recent flooding causes a huge loss in their production.
Almost half of the expected harvest was lost due to the damage caused by flood.
“Yong iba ay nakuha na nila yong palay nila. Yung iba ay two months pa lang. Ang problema ron ay yong mga nalubog ay talagang naapektuhan. Kung may makukuha man sila ay talagang mababa ang harvest,” he said.
Apostol said that for every hectare, farmers could harvest 80 sacks but half of it may lose because of the flood.
He said that within their 50-hectare area, 500 sacks are affected every cropping which is amounting to P400,000.
He said that when rains occur for a few days, water could reach over the average height of a person.
“Kumbaga yong mga tao ron, yong farmers ay nasanay na lang na taon-taon ay nangyayari yan sa area na yan. Wala na rin sila magawa, hindi rin mapigilan yong ganyan kasi kalamidad kasi yan,” he said.
He said that this concern was already raised to the local government unit of Rizal on the committee on agriculture.
He said that even in 2018, it was already discussed during the meeting with the farmers in hope to acquire a solution to the problem.
