President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday, July 23, led the inauguration and turnover of the Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (SRIP), the largest irrigation facility in Palawan and the province’s first reservoir-type irrigation system, in a move aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity and water management in southern Palawan.
Located in Barangay Sagpangan, the ₱886.12-million project is designed to irrigate 1,072 hectares of farmland across the villages of Sagpangan, Iraan, and Isaub in the town of Aborlan. The irrigation system is expected to benefit 425 farmers who are members of the Ibato-Iraan Farmer’s Irrigators Association, Inc.
Although construction of the project was completed in September 2024, Thursday’s ceremony marked its formal turnover to the concerned stakeholders, who will oversee the operation and maintenance of the facility.
The project sources its water from the Ibato-Iraan River and features a 31-meter-high zoned earthfill dam, an irrigation canal network, concrete-lined waterways, access roads, and a 350-meter-long ungated ogee spillway designed to safely discharge excess water during periods of heavy rainfall.
Its reservoir has the capacity to store up to 3.013 million cubic meters of rainwater, providing a stable water supply for agricultural use.
According to the government, the project is intended to support higher farm productivity, sustainable water management, and local economic growth by improving irrigation services for farming communities in Aborlan.
The Ibato-Iraan SRIP is the first reservoir-type irrigation project in Palawan and represents one of the province’s largest agricultural infrastructure investments, expanding irrigation capacity in an area where farming remains a key source of livelihood.
