PH eyes solar-powered irrigation project with China

The Philippines has set its sights on partnering with China for the development of an irrigation project powered by solar energy, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said they were fleshing out capacity and other details of the irrigation project, which would be undertaken via a government-to-government project scheme.

“We are drafting the possible engagement with China so hopefully by next year, we can submit a request to conduct a feasibility study to Neda (National Economic and Development Authority),” de Mesa told reporters.

The agriculture official shared this had started with a request to explore the potential collaboration between the Philippines and China in recent months.

“It was forwarded to us by Neda,” he said. “We formed a team that will be handling the proposed solar powered irrigation system.”

Early this month, the DA issued a special order creating a preparation team “[i]n the interest of service and in view of expediting the preparation and finalization” of the proposed solar power irrigation system project with China.

The team is tasked to conduct the following: prepare and finalize feasibility study of the planned project; ensure that project documents are compliant with the requirements of the DA-Wide Project Clearinghouse System and Neda-Investment Coordination Committee; coordinate with and request assistance, if needed, from other relevant offices, and, prepare timeline of activities from preparation until finalization and approval of the said study.

De Mesa was named team leader with the following as members: Ernesto Brampio, chief of Bureau of Soils and Water Management’s Water Resources Management Division; Noemi Carpio, Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering’s chief of Engineering Plans, Designs and Specifications Division; Angelita Martir, officer-in-charge (OIC) of DA’s Special Projects Coordination and Management Assistance Division and Rowel del Rosario, OIC of DA’s Project Identification and Evaluation Division Project Development Service.

“All expenses to be incurred in the conduct of related activities for the Project shall be chargeable against their respective offices, subject to the existing government accounting and auditing laws, rules, and regulations, the order signed by Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban read.

This was as the DA was forced to end its collaboration with Israel for another solar-powered irrigation project that was forged during the previous administration.

The DA requested the termination because the government-to-government requirements could not be established with the Department of Finance, (DOF) the main negotiator.

“The embassy of Israel is still working with [the] DOF to revive the proposal,” he said. “On the part of DA, we defer to Neda and DOF on the next step.”

The solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS) project, previously dubbed as the agency’s flagship program, would have the capacity to irrigate 500,000 hectares of farmlands all over the country.

Israeli company LR Group was supposed to put up the SPIS project, which would have been financed by a P44-billion loan.

According to De Mesa, the Neda Investment Coordination Committee had approved the technical aspect of the project and they only need to finalize its funding. INQ