M’LANG, Cotabato Province (PIA) -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has strengthened its efforts to rehabilitate and protect water resources being essential support to irrigation systems, boosting agricultural outputs.

Recently, the NIA, through the M’lang/Malasila River Irrigation System (MMRIS) in Barangay Buayan, M’lang, Cotabato, inaugurated the M’lang River Irrigation System (RIS) Nursery Building under the Rehabilitation and Protection of Water Resources Supporting Irrigation Systems (R&P WRSIS) Program.

The facility, located at the MMRIS compound in Barangay Buayan, houses various fruit-bearing trees which will be used for reforestation or rehabilitation of open, denuded, and degraded areas covered in the rehabilitation and protection program of NIA.

It is part of the estimated P2.6 million fund from the Climate Change Adaptation Works of the NIA-Central Office intended to provide farmers with quality irrigation systems.

The inauguration of the nursery building was one of the signals for the start of the first year of implementation of the R&P WRSIS Program in Barangay Ugpay.

MMRIS acting chief of system Engr. Milbrend Anne Alburo said the program covers 30 hectares along the one-kilometer radius from Ugpay Dam.

“The major objective of this program is to address issues and concerns of accelerated soil erosion and sediment deposition to irrigation facilities,” Alburo said, adding that the program will give farmers better agricultural production.

Meanwhile, during the launch, the Cotabato Irrigation Management Office (IMO) and the Barangay Local Government Unit of Ugpay signed an Affidavit of Undertaking for the first phase of the implementation of the program. Under the program, residents residing near the watershed or those with properties near it will be given seedlings to be planted in the area. On the other hand, environmentalists from Cotabato IMO will be responsible for the monitoring of the project. (With reports from BaldelovarAJ-MMRIS)