The National Irrigation Administration-Palawan Irrigation Management Office (NIA-PIMO) has installed the first solar-powered pump in Barangay Isumbo, Sofronio Española to irrigate 10 hectares of farmland during the dry season.
NIA Palawan started the installation of the Isumbo Pump Irrigation Project (PIP) on May 29 with 3728.5 watts or five horsepower (hp) submersible pump motor capable to produce 100 gallons of water per minute (gpm) to sufficiently irrigate the target land area.
In 2019, NIA Palawan manager Engr. Conrado Cardenas stated that the Isumbo PIP will be the pilot of the agency’s solar power pump project in the province.
“The completion of solar-powered pump project can help diversify agricultural production, it was designed as energy-efficient that has the ability to pump up water from the source to an elevated storage tank and releases by gravity directly to irrigated areas,” Cardenas said.
The implementation of Isumbo PIP started on May 29 with a budget allotment of P3,557,289.76 awarded to Reinastar Trading & Construction Supply.
The approved budget covered the installation of a solar-powered pump, pump house, control panel, and accessories and 0.399 kilometers of canal lining to complete in 120 calendar days.
Cardenas said that NIA Palawan will assure that remote areas are also prioritized for irrigation projects in times of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Calambiringan Irrigators Association (IA) pres. Jeanie G. Denzon said that farming will be difficult without irrigation especially in times of dry season in Sitio Calabano.
“The excess water coming from water well was maximize using expensive fuelled water pump just to continue farming practices. The Isumbo PIP will give free irrigation for 13 farmer-beneficiaries for aquaculture operation and rice farming in said remote area,” Denzon said.
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