After 7 Years! Solar-Powered Irrigation Gets 2nd Look From Govt.

Seven years after the Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) was launched as a banner program of the Department of Agriculture, this major agricultural productivity innovation is now getting a second look from government.
Yesterday, during a rice harvest festival in Candaba, Pampanga, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., announced that his government will undertake a nationwide SPIS program to boost the country’s rice sufficiency program.
The President, who was accompanied in the event by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., said the SPIS program will initially target 180,000 hectares to produce a projected 1.2-million metric tons of milled rice.
The virtual re-launch of the SPIS comes a full seven years after former President Rodrigo Duterte flew to the village of New Janiuay, Mlang, Cotabato on Feb. 5, 2017 to formally introduce the Solar-Powered Irrigation System Program of the DA.
The first unit was built by a group of American volunteers led by Rocky French, Moses Khuu, Gabriel Esparagoza, Filipino journalist Winchell Campos and later Korean-American Kyu Whang.
Using local funds, the DA implemented the SPIS Program but many of the units did not perform as expected because these were undertaken by small groups and companies which did not have a lot of experience in the technology.
In the areas where the SPIS functioned well, like in Llanera, Nueva Ecija and Manubuan, Matalam, North Cotabato, farmers more than doubled their yield and achieving two harvests a year.
To support the implementation of the nationwide SPIS Program then, an Israel company, LR Group, introduced a system which would integrate all SPIS units in a digital network where each and every irrigation unit will be monitored by a Central Computer System to ensure that it is working.
Along with the proposal was a funding offered by the Government of Israel amounting to P40-B to finance the system which would irrigate 500,000-hectares.
The proposal which was submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committeee (NEDA-ICC) which evaluates and endorses all foreign funded projects for the approval of the President was never acted upon by the Economic Managers of the previous administration.
Today, with the Presidential declaration on the adoption of the Solar-Powered irrigation System as a major program of the DA to boost rice production, the country’s farmers could now expect the realization of the dreamed sufficient supply of water through modern agricultural technology.
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