By Junex Doronio
MANILA — In line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s vision to install thousands of solar-powered irrigation units to help farmers boost their harvests, Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. is eyeing to increase his department’s solar-powered irrigation budget, from P250 million this year to P50 billion in 2025.
This developed as the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) headed by Secretary Cheloy Garafil on Wednesday (13 March 2024) disclosed that the government is setting aside P17 billion for the Philippine Solar Irrigation Project this year.
“For the solar irrigation project under the General Appropriations Act, we have P250 million this year,” DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa quipped at a forum in Manila on Wednesday.
He added that for next year’s National Expenditure Program, “The instruction of Secretary Tiu Laurel… about P50 billion will be devoted to the solar irrigation project.”
To recall, last month PBBM said the government was looking to install thousands of solar-powered irrigation units to help farmers boost their harvests.
De Mesa also said the Philippine Solar Irrigation Project was submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) “for deliberation of the ICC [Investment Coordination Committee].”
De Mesa pointed out that the use of solar-powered irrigation could save farmers around P12,000 to P15,000 per hectare.
It was gathered that Laurel had said solar-powered irrigation was among the measures identified to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
(el Amigo/MNM)
