January 16, 2025

Emmanuel "Manny" F. Piñol

Official Website

The Dream Lives On! Solar-Powered Irrigation: Pres. Duterte Agri Legacy

Manny Piñol January 14, 2024 2 min read

On Feb. 4, 2024, it would be seven years to the day when then President Rodrigo Duterte flew by helicopter to the small village of New Janiuay in Mlang, Cotabato to launch the Solar-Powered Irrigation System Program which I introduced as Secretary of Agriculture.
The New Janiuay SPIS, built by a volunteer group of Americans led by Rocky French, Moses Khuu, his brother-in-law, Gabriel Esparagoza, Korean-American Kyu Whang and Filipino journalist Winchell Campos, served as the torch which showed the way for modern agriculture in the country.
Following the launching, about 200 more SPIS units were built all over the country.
Many of these did not function as expected for several reasons, ranging from inexperienced contractors to the toxic Filipino habit of putting down new ideas and innovations.
Political detractors jumped in and alleged that the SPIS was a failure and a big waste of government money.
The Economic Team of President Duterte, made up largely by technocrats who have very little concern for Agriculture led by then Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, showed no interest in the SPIS Program.
They shelved an Israel Government offer of P40-B in soft loans build 6,000 units of SPIS and refused to fund additional SPIS which could have irrigated thousands of hectares of rice farms.
In spite of this, however, the SPIS remains as one of the legacies of the Duterte Presidency in Agriculture because it paved the way for the introduction of an innovation in agricultural irrigation.
Today, the National irrigation Administration (NIA) under former Piddig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eddie Guillen whose town was one of the beneficiaries of the SPIS when I was Secretary of Agriculture has fully adopted the Solar-Powered irrigation System by engaging the same Israel company, the LR Group, whose proposal to the DA to build 6,000 units was ignored.
Looking back, I could not help but be thankful that President Duterte, in spite of this failure to fully support the program, greatly helped in bringing the SPIS technology to the limelight with his presence in New Janiuay, Mlang, Cotabato seven years ago.
As for me, my advocacy to ensure the success of the SPIS Program continues with the monitoring and review of all defective units by organizing an SPIS Private Monitoring Group.
Outside of government and away from politics, nobody could now question my motive in pushing for the implementation of more SPIS units all over the country and the adoption of guidelines and procedures to ensure that the facilities are operating well and serving the Filipino farmers.
#TheDreamNeverDies!
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
(These file photos were taken by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA Information Office.)

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