File photo. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —Screenshot from RTVM video

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday inaugurated the Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, Palawan’s first reservoir-type dam, in Aborlan, Palawan, amid the challenges posed by El Niño and climate change.

The project, located in Barangay Sapongan, is the island’s largest irrigation facility and first reservoir-type dam. According to Marcos, it is expected to help lessen the impact of increasingly unpredictable weather.

“Nowadays, especially in the middle of the dry season or El Niño. We cannot just rely on the arrival of the rain,” Marcos said.

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He also detailed that the reservoir will use artificial intelligence to manage and modernize the irrigation system for efficient crop harvesting.

The Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project is set to benefit 425 farmers, which could increase their annual harvest from two times a year to three.

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The irrigation project spans up to 1000 hectares with a capacity of 3.013 million cubic meters of rainwater to assure a year-round supply of water.

Marcos urged the National Irrigation Administration and the Ibato-Iraan Farmers Irrigators Association to work together in maintaining the facility to continue its service among the farmers who depend on the reservoir for their living. Geneson Satsatin/INQUIRER.net trainee

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