VILLABA, LEYTE — For over a decade, rice farmers in the third and fourth districts of Leyte had to look toward the skies and pray for rain just to sustain their livelihoods. That era of uncertainty officially came to an end on Thursday, April 30, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated the Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP).
The ₱1.21-billion infrastructure project, one of the largest of its kind in Eastern Visayas, is being hailed as a “game-changer” for the province’s agricultural backbone.
During the inauguration, the President expressed surprise that many local farmers were still limited to a single harvest per year due to water scarcity. With the new reservoir now operational, that is set to change.
“This project is a prime example of our national push for modernization,” President Marcos said. “By ensuring a steady flow of water, we can move from one harvest to two—and if we manage this properly, potentially three harvests a year. Water is the lifeblood of agriculture; without it, even the best seeds and tools are useless.”
- Service Area: 2,750 hectares of prime agricultural land.
- Beneficiaries: 1,821 farmers across the towns of Villaba, Kananga, and Matag-ob.
- Infrastructure: A 25-meter-high earthfill dam with a massive storage capacity of 9.01 million cubic meters.
- Network: 26 kilometers of main canals and nearly 16 kilometers of lateral canals.
The journey to this ribbon-cutting ceremony was not a short one. Initially launched in 2013 under the Aquino administration, the project faced years of delays due to funding gaps and weather interruptions. Its completion marks a major milestone for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the local government units that have pushed for its finalization.
Beyond rice production, the President also urged local officials to look at the “big picture.” He suggested developing the reservoir area for eco-tourism and inland fishing, creating secondary income streams for the community.
For local farmers like 62-year-old Dindo Comonol, the project offers more than just water—it offers financial breathing room. Comonol noted that before the dam, farmers spent nearly ₱40,000 on fuel just to run irrigation pumps.
“The cost of farming has doubled,” he shared. “This reservoir frees us from the high cost of fuel and the whims of the weather. We can finally expect our yields to jump by at least 40 percent.”