NIA's transfer to OP to boost land irrigation —DA chief

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s move to transfer the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to the Office of the President (OP) from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a statement, Tiu Laurel described the transfer as a “strategic move” in “realizing the vision for a modern and more productive farm sector.”

In his Executive Order No. 69, Marcos said transferring the NIA from DA to OP was imperative to streamline and rationalize the functional relationships of agencies with complementary mandates “in order to promote coordination, efficiency, and coherence within the bureaucracy.”

Tiu Laurel said NIA's transfer to OP will address the urgent need for substantial funding to irrigate approximately 1.2 million hectares of land. 

The initiative, the Agriculture chief said, is expected to significantly enhance food production, particularly rice, thereby bolstering the country’s food security and reducing dependence on imports.

“Under normal circumstances, the NIA should be under the DA. However, given the urgent need to irrigate over a million hectares of land to boost agricultural productivity, especially for rice, President Marcos made a strategic—possibly a game-changing--move that would ensure that NIA receives the substantial funding necessary to fulfill this crucial mandate swiftly,” Tiu Laurel said.

The DA has proposed a budget of P512 billion for 2025, which includes a higher budget to bankroll more irrigation projects. 

However, the proposal approved by the Department of Budget and Management and submitted to Congress was for a reduced amount of P200.2 billion. 

By transferring NIA to the OP, Tiu Laurel said the government aims to mobilize additional funds to accelerate irrigation projects and improve agricultural outcomes.

The Agriculture chief said the “strategic shift” is intended to streamline the allocation of resources and expedite the implementation of irrigation initiatives. 

Tiue Laurel added that the move “will help meet the pressing need for enhanced agricultural infrastructure, which is essential for achieving long-term food security and reducing import reliance.” —LDF, GMA Integrated News