BOHOL has consolidated its position as the No. 1 rice producer in Central Visayas with irrigation facilities, hybridization and government support as its underpinning. This was bared by Gov. Erico Aumentado during the Bohol Irrigation Forum last week with the theme “Irrigation: The Road to Progress which we must Protect”. He said Bohol attained 113% rice self sufficiency in 2008 because of the foregoing factors for which the Department of Agriculture (DA) under Secretary Arthur Yap and the provincial government have worked together to make the province an exporter of the prime commodity to other provinces. Aumentado cited the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for achieving the actual accomplishment of 9,735 hectares of new, restored and rehabilitated irrigated rice lands as against its physical target of 10,312 has. for calendar year 2008-2009 or a 97.82% accomplishment Citing figures from NIA Administrator Carlos Salazar's report, the governor said the project cost of P4.23 billion contributed so much to stabilize Bohol 's economy even in the light of the global financial crisis.

The Bohol Irrigation Project Stage 2 with the mega Bayongan Dam costing P3.6 billion as the spearhead is now irrigating 5,300 has. of rice land, followed by the Talibon Small Reservoir Irrigation Project costing P420 million and irrigating 1,600 has. The Bohol Provincial Irrigation Office accounts for 57 projects with a cost of P169.7 million and irrigating 2,128 has of rice land. On the other hand, the Bohol Irrigation System (BIS) contributed six irrigation projects costing P36.7 million and irrigating 707 has. Aumentado lauded NIA for its role in Bohol 's unprecedented rice production which he said has the bright chance of being sustained because of the NIA Central Visayas regional office in Tagbilaran City under Regional Director Modesto Membreve and the combined resources of the DA and the provincial government to support Bohol 's agriculture program. He said Yap frontloaded 117 large scale and small scale irrigation projects to service 12,371 has. with an estimated cost of P2.423 billion for 2010 and onwards in the DA agricultural program.

The biggest portion of irrigable areas consisting of 7,384 hectares with an outlay of P1.311 billion is in the 3rd District where Yap is running for congressman. The governor said the provincial government and DA are working to sustain the primacy of Bohol in rice production of Central Visayas through its convergence strategy in the rice hybridization program and the Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (Racer) to the global crisis program where it allocated P34 million for its plant and fertilize now and pay later project plus a special outlay of about P4.5 million for Bohol's organic agriculture development.