‘Mabalin kamin nga ag-garden anytime’: ₱30.56-M water project ends 15-year wait of Magasusu farmers in Kalinga

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Farmers in Sitio Magasusu, Barangay Bulo, can now tend their gardens without waiting for rain after a 15-year wait for a reliable water source ended with the inauguration of a ₱30.56-million Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP) on November 5.

The project is expected to provide irrigation to 85 hectares of farmland and benefit 35 farmers, helping the community sustain crop production, particularly during the dry season when water scarcity has long affected their livelihood.

Farmer-beneficiary Martina Daligdig expressed gratitude for the facility, saying the community had waited years for the project.

“Agyaman kami ta long time nga inur-uray mi daytoy nga project,” Dalidig said.

She recalled that during El Niño, farmers struggled to plant because of insufficient water.

Some even had to travel farther into the forest to find areas where they could grow crops.

With the new facility, farmers will have a more dependable water supply and greater flexibility in tending their gardens.

“Dakkel launay nga panagyaman mi ta adan ti danom mi. Mabalin kamin nga ag-garden anytime nga haanen urayen ti panagtudo. Dakkel launay nga yaman mi ta daytoy ket pagbiagan,” she added.

The Magasusu SWIP, worth ₱30,569,396.93, also has an 18-hectare pond and a 177-hectare watershed.

It was implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) under its FY 2024 Locally Funded Project for Small Water Irrigation and Impounding Projects.

DA Assistant Secretary Brando Aguilera led the inauguration, representing Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. Officials from the Provincial Government of Kalinga and the City Government of Tabuk, along with residents and farmer-beneficiaries, attended the ceremony.

The event also featured the release of fish fingerlings into the impounding facility, which could provide an additional source of livelihood for the community.

For the farmers of Magasusu, however, the project's most immediate benefit is the water they have long waited for—allowing them to plant and tend their gardens without having to depend solely on rainfall.