NIA blunders leave farmers dry as P2B in irrigation projects stall

MANILA, Philippines – State auditors have called for tough measures, including contract cancellations, legal action, and financial penalties, after uncovering persistent delays in irrigation projects dating back to the Duterte administration.

In a report, the Commission on Audit (COA) faulted the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for failing to plan and oversee projects properly, leading to missed deadlines and billions in idle funds. The report, released Saturday, February 1, urged administrative sanctions against NIA officials and staff whose negligence contributed to the backlog.

The COA recommended rescinding contracts, forfeiting contractors’ performance security bonds, and filing court cases against the contractors.

The scope of the problem is staggering: 161 contracts suffered delays ranging from one month to over three years, with many originally set for completion in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The cost of these stalled projects reached a staggering P2.04 billion.

Cagayan Valley, or Region II, bore the brunt of the delays. More than half of the unfinished projects – amounting P1.04 billion – were concentrated in the region, raising concerns over accountability and project management within NIA.

With billions tied up in incomplete infrastructure, pressure is mounting on the agency to overhaul its operations and deliver long-overdue irrigation systems.

NIA regional offices with the most delayed projects:

• Cordillera Administrative Region with 36 projects
• NIA-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS) with 30 projects
• Isabela-Irrigation Management Office (IMO) with 25 projects
• Lamisca-IMO (Lanao del Norte-Misamis Occidental-Misamis Oriental-Camiguin) with 23 projects
• NIA-Cagayan Valley with 19 projects

Other affected offices:

• Cagayan-Batanes IMO with 9 projects
• Eastern-Western Samar IMO with 8 projects
• Northern Samar IMO with 7 projects

The COA also noted slight delays were also noted in Quirino IMO, NIA-Central Visayas, NIA-Davao Region, Davao Oriental IMO.

In terms of contract value, other delayed projects include:

• Lamisca-IMO at P216.35 million
• Isabela IMO at P183.08 million
• MARIIS at P161.63 million

“Compared with prior year’s data, the number of irrigation contracts/projects that incurred delays in the implementation increased by 94 percent or 78 contracts/projects from 83 in CY 2022 to 161 in CY 2023,” the COA reported.

The consequences of the delays extend far beyond the balance sheets. For farmers depending on irrigation to sustain their livelihood, the setbacks have been hurting, cutting into yields and leaving fields parched.

State auditors said NIA offered a litany of reasons: flooded or unworkable sites, underperforming contractors, a shortage of manpower and equipment, last-minute design changes, right-of-way disputes, and even standing crops obstructing construction.

But the problem runs deeper. On top of the stalled projects, another 75 – collectively worth P5.06 billion – remain in limbo, either suspended or given contract extensions. And the failures aren’t limited to domestic funding. 

A foreign-backed irrigation initiative, with a price tag exceeding $193.49 million, has also been delayed, further showing the NIA’s struggle to deliver on its mandate.

“In view of the significant delays, ranging from 31 to 1,113 calendar days in the completion of 161 irrigation contracts/projects and the suspension of and/or granting of CTEs on 76 irrigation contracts/projects, the intended beneficiaries were not able to promptly benefit from these irrigation projects,” read part of the COA report. – Rappler.com