Mabini, Pangasinan – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over a solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS) worth PHP 1,000,000.00 to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), who are members of the Barlo Agrarian Reform Cooperative here.
DAR- Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II and concurrent Assistant Regional Director for Administration Maria Ana B. Francisco said the irrigation system will address the water problem of the ARBs and non-ARBs living in Mabini, Pangasinan to increase their income and uplift their lives.
“As part of the effort and mandate of the department in helping the agrarian reform beneficiaries to become resilient in the global issue of climate change, the SPIS was constructed under Climate Resilient and Farm Productivity Support Program or CRFPSP,” Francisco said.
She said the SPIS can irrigate three (3) to five (5) hectares of agricultural land that will benefit thirty (30) farmers who have irrigation problems in the area.
Board of director of the Barlo Agrarian Reform Cooperative Leynard Berbenzana said each farmer spends ₱ 20,000.00 on irrigation, including rent on water pump, labor and crude oil.
“With the help of the SPIS, the production cost of the farmers will be reduced because they will no longer buy gasoline for their generator sets, instead, they will use sunlight for the operation of their machinery. If there is sufficient heat from the sun, it will generate more water,” Berbenzana said.
Tranquilino Balagat, one of the beneficiaries of SPIS said that before, Barlo farmers planted rice during the rainy season in month of June, then harvested in October same year because they only depend on the pouring rain to irrigate their paddy fields and , they can no longer plant during the summer, so the land is idle from November to May.
He disclosed that now, because of SPIS in their area, farmers gradually will be able to plant even if it is not the rainy season.
DAR Pangasinan with representatives from the local government of Mabini, led the turnover ceremony in Brgy. Barlo. The said solar-powered irrigation system is the second SPIS provided by DAR in Western Pangasinan.
Earlier, some142 farmer-members of the DAR-assisted ARB organization, the Rang-Ay Upland Integrated Farmers Association, Inc. in Brgy. Dacap Norte, Bani, Pangasinan benefited from the SPIS project of the DAR.
