Kiangan farmers provide free labor to repair irrigation

by Vency D. Bulayungan

Kiangan, Ifugao (27 February) — In a bid to source out water to irrigate nearly dried up rice fields, farmers here joined hands and provided free labor to repair existing irrigations.

Farmer Amadeo Baod said that the farmers here decided to do something to help the government save their palay from the onslaught of the El Nino phenomenon. “We are afraid of the impact of the long dry spell on our ricefields and we have to act on it in order that our efforts and the money we spent in the preparation and planting of the palay will not go to waste,” he said.

According to Baod, all the farmers here joined hands and repaired a destroyed irrigation just to let water flow in their rice paddies which are getting dried up. He disclosed that the “bayanihan” (free labor) they provided in the repair of the irrigation was supported by the Municipal Government which provided food for work for the farmers.

Baod added that the land owners who are beneficiaries of the said irrigation also contributed money to buy materials and other needs in the repair of the irrigation system. The farmers tapped the water from a nearby river since the other sources are slowly drying up.

The farmers just planted their palay last January and according to Provincial Agriculturist Raymond Bahatan, it will take at least four months for the palay to yield a bountiful harvest if the ricefields has water for at least three months.

Baod said that they need not to wait for the government to act on their plight but should do their part to solve the problem. “If we keep on depending on the government for help then we will be at a loss. (PIA-Ifugao)