P1.67-B irrigation projects to be implemented across Cordillera in 2026; Farm production expected to improve

Tabuk City — The National Irrigation Administration Cordillera (NIA-CAR) is set to implement irrigation projects across the region in 2026 with a budget allocation of P1.67 billion aimed at expanding irrigable lands, strengthening food production, and improving farmers’ productivity.

The projects include a combination of communal irrigation systems (CIS), national irrigation systems (NIS), pump irrigation projects, reservoir-based systems, and rehabilitation or restoration works for existing irrigation facilities.

According to NIA-CAR Regional Manager Ronilio Cervantes in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency-CAR, the projects form part of the agency’s continuing efforts to develop the remaining cultivatable areas in the region and improve irrigation services for farming communities across the Cordillera.

For 2026, a total of 219 irrigation projects will be implemented across the region. Based on NIA-CAR data, around 114,400 hectares of the Cordillera’s 185,400 hectares of potential irrigable land had already been developed as of December 2025, while the remaining 71,000 hectares are still targeted for irrigation services.

Meanwhile, there are four major irrigation systems managed by NIA-CAR: the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS) in Kalinga, the Abra River Irrigation System, the West Apayao Abulug Irrigation System (WAAIS), and the Hapid Irrigation System in Ifugao.

For CIS projects, Kalinga has the highest number of systems at 692 out of the 2,390 recorded across the region. CIS projects are usually built for farmlands covering less than 1,000 hectares.

The high number of CIS projects in Kalinga is largely attributed to the province’s vast agricultural lands and the presence of numerous farming communities that heavily depend on rice and corn production.

With the implementation of the projects, agricultural productivity in the region is expected to improve through better water supply, increased crop production, and stronger support for farmers across the Cordillera.