NIA restores irrigation to nearly 40,000 hectares in Nueva Ecija

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Philstar.com

February 5, 2026 | 1:00pm

MANILA, Philippines – “Himala (miracle).” This was how many Novo Ecijano farmers described the swift completion of the repair of the Talavera River Super Diversion Canal (SDC) Siphon, which was officially commissioned by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on February 1, at the boundary of Barangays Ligaya and San Nicolas, Llanera, Nueva Ecija.

The commissioning was led by NIA administrator Engr. Eddie Guillen, together with Felipe Tres Largo, representative of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan; NIA UPRIIS acting department manager Engr. Alvin Manuel; Regional Confederation of Irrigators’ Association (RCIA) president Dante Lazatin; Division Federation of IA president Federico Cinense III; DA regional technical director Arthur Dayrit and local government officials.

The completed project restored irrigation supply to a total of 39,748.93 hectares, benefitting 26,335 farmers across Nueva Ecija.

The rapid completion of the project was carried out under the directive and close monitoring of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., who ordered the immediate repair and fast-tracking of works to swiftly restore irrigation to affected farmlands.

The Talavera River SDC Siphon is a critical component of the irrigation network serving large portions of Nueva Ecija, widely regarded as the country’s Rice Granary.

Its rehabilitation and commissioning are expected to significantly boost agricultural productivity and directly support the national government’s food security agenda.

Guillen underscored that the project reflects what can be achieved through decisive leadership and strong collaboration among national agencies, local government units, contractors and IAs.

He also called on farmer-beneficiaries to help safeguard and properly maintain the facility to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The commissioning of the Talavera River SDC Siphon marks a major milestone in NIA’s continuing efforts to modernize and rehabilitate critical irrigation infrastructure nationwide—advancing the administration’s commitment to strengthen Philippine agriculture and uplift the lives of Filipino farmers.

Editor’s Note: This press release from National Irrigation Administration is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.