RIZAL, Kalinga(PIA) – The recently completed solar-powered irrigation pump in the municipality of Rizal in Kalinga province is now irrigating 72 hectares of riceland benefitting 60 farmers.

The Santor Rizal Solar Pump Irrigation Project (SPIP) Phase II was implemented by the National Irrigation Administration Cordillera regional office (NIA CAR), and funded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program- Irrigation Component.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier announced that the government is building more solar-powered irrigation system projects amid the El Niño phenomenon.

The solar-powered irrigation pump is usually implemented in areas with higher elevation than the source of water, or in areas where the nearest possible source of water is underground, said NIA regional manager Benito Espique Jr.

The Santor SPIP project entailed the installation of 10 solar-powered submersible pumps, 10 reservoir tanks, and 750 meters of distribution pipe.