PHL starts P100-M solar irrigation project in Ormoc

THE PHILIPPINES has invested P100 million in a solar-powered irrigation project in Ormoc City, Eastern Visayas, as part of efforts to boost renewable infrastructure spending to cut farm energy costs and improve food production.

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The RM Tan Solar Pump Irrigation Project (SPIP), developed under the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), will provide year-round irrigation to 100 hectares of farmland, benefiting 92 farmers, Malacañang said in a statement on Monday after a site visit by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen.

The system, which replaces diesel-powered pumps with solar-powered units, is expected to lower operating expenses, reduce carbon emissions and shield farm production from oil price volatility.

The Presidential Palace said the Ormoc project is the largest of its kind in Eastern Visayas and forms part of NIA’s nationwide push to deploy climate-smart irrigation systems, in line with the government’s renewable energy targets and Mr. Marcos’ climate-resilient agriculture agenda.

The facility includes seven solar-powered pumps with a combined 70-horsepower capacity spread across two sites.