EDITORIAL

Water

NIA MC No. 26’s Is Compost Pit

Water is a matter: colorless, a transparent liquid on earth as rivers, lakes, oceans, and creeks. It falls from the clouds as rain. It is a chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Water boils at 100 degrees celsius and freezes, forming ice at zero degree celsius.

To man and livestock, water cures thirst. It cleanses both the exterior and interior of the body. To plants, water is necessary to dissolve food nutrients in the soil and make it available to the plant. Water is extremely needed during hot season or time of the year.

Moreover, water serves as the passageways for all kinds of ocean going vessels, boat, banca, rafts and others. Water also provides space for all kinds of fishes to live and move about. Water forms more than 50 percent of the human body.

While water is a very valuable friend of man, livestock and plant, it is also extremely worst friend when man abuses it. Man must take good care of water habitats such as plants like trees, lakes, creeks, and rivers. If not, then water is ready to revenge, destroy lives and properties as it did on June 21, 2008. Aklan suffered badly due to water as personified by Typhoon Frank.

Water armed with mud over flooded the Aklan valley which killed people and animals, damaged farms, buildings and other infrastructures.

Why? Because people cut trees, destroyed river banks; because of continuous sand and gravel quarrying, the distruction of creeks by constructing houses, bridges like the Tambak bridge and obstructing water passageways by constructing dikes.

These environmental malpractices are resulting to climate change and global warming. Agricultural farms, either run dry or run flooded resulting to losses, property damages, food insufficiency, and hunger.

While there is abundance of water in the Philippines, Aklan specially has not fully developed its water resources. The government has either purposely abandoned or neglected the harnessing of the nation’s vast water resources to help propel industries and for food production. Actually, the Philippines’ 7107 islands are floating on two oceans, the pacific and the China Sea.

The Aklan river, if developed, can produce enough electricity for use in Aklan, the surplus for sale to Capiz, Antique and even Iloilo. But the water is allowed to evaporate, to percolate and drain. What a waste of valuable natural resource! Not only electricity, there will be flood control, land reclamation, tourism improvement, employment creation, peace and order, and many other benefits if Aklan river is developed.

Of Aklan’s total land area devoted for agriculture, a mere 4,442 hectares are irrigated, or about 20 percent only of the land devoted to agriculture. It is so ironical that water is available in the river while agricultural crops and even livestocks are drying. To produce one (1) kilogram of palay, 5,000 kilograms of water are needed, statistics reveal.

Worst for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has increased its irrigation fee from P1,500 to P2,500 per hectare, a P1000 or 66 percent increase during dry season and from P1,050 to P1,000 per hectare per season during rainy season, an increase of P50 or 4.7 percent during rainy season.

Why charge so excessive fee? Has the government lifted its fingers to improve the irrigation system? It appears that the main input of rice production is becoming the burden of the farmers. However, government controls the price unmindful of the cost and difficulty of production. The government does not appropriate any amount for personal services of irrigation personnel. Before the NIA personnel are paid, they must first collect irrigation fees from the farmers.

Clear? What? That the government subsidizes foreign rice farmers while it gives the pain of production to the Filipino farmers.

Not only that. The government even steals the money intended for Filipinos, and Filipino farmers. Proof? Look at your sides. Look at the P728 million fertilizer fund scam designed by Mr. Jocelyn Jocjoc Bolante. What is the basis of the NIA P2,500 per hectare irrigation fee per season? It is the NIA crafted Memorandum Circular No. 26 which took effect on November 1, 2008. How many farmers have complied with? This NIA MC No. 26 does not deserve compliance. It is best fitted for the compost pit. /MP

Happy New Year & Peace To All!