REP. Erico Aumentado (2 nd District, Bohol) is eyeing still another mega irrigation project that can also be a source of energy. The solon has completed two major irrigation projects even as he has started negotiations with private groups for the development of a hydroelectric plant bigger than all existing ones in the province. This early, however, he said he is looking for environment-friendly potentials in anticipation of the increasing rice and power needs of the Boholanos attendant to a naturally growing population. Aumentado said he “accidentally discovered” the proposed multipurpose dam site when he inspected the newly opened Loay Interior Road (LIR) Junction Buenavista (Carmen)-Dagohoy-Danao Road – hence the concept of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage 3 (BHIP 3). The site is located in a huge depression in the boundaries of Carmen, Dagohoy, Danao and San Miguel towns. Aumentado, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 7 Manager Modesto Membreve and Robert Uy and Silvestre Natividad of the Sunwest Group of Companies, a power and water service group conducted a ground inspection of the proposed project site last weekend preparatory to its pre-feasibility study.

Membreve initially estimated that the dam could irrigate about 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of rice land in Dagohoy, Danao, San Miguel, Trinidad, Bien Unido and Ubay which are not serviced by the present BHIP 1 and 2. On the other hand, the Sunwest executives and technical men estimated that given the volume that can be stored in the proposed mega dam, about 12-15 megawatts of hydro-electric power can be generated. Sunwest became interested in the project after the solon broached to its chair Zaldy Co its potentials. Co is a big-time donor of the St. Vincent Parish in San Pascual, Ubay for which Aumentado heads the church building commission. BHIP 3 is in the league of Aumentado’s “mega” projects – conceptualized and implemented during his previous terms as congressman and later, Bohol governor. Aside from BHIP 1 and 2, these include the Bohol Circumferential Road and the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project funded by Japanese government official development assistance (ODA) which propelled Bohol to faster economic development.      

For BHIP 3, the solon plans to tap the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) thru the help of his personal friend and adopted son of Bohol, former Ambassador Joong-Kyung Choi, now Korea’s Minister of Knowledge Economy – for a grant on the project feasibility study and detailed engineering design. Choi had helped then Gov. Aumentado secure a KOICA grant of US$1 million for the feasibility study and detailed engineering design to upgrade the Malinao Dam in order to double its water storage capacity from 5 million to 10 million cubic meters. The study showed that raising the dam height by two meters will already irrigate an additional 2,730 hectares of rice land in Pilar, Dagohoy, San Miguel, Ubay, and Alicia.

With the approval of the National Economic Development Authority infrastructure Coordinating Committee (NEDA-ICC) Technical Board, the project is now due for implementation. Aumentado and NEDA Region 7 Dir. Marlene Rodriguez had convinced the board of the project’s viability. Choi also worked for the grant for the Pilar Rice Processing Complex. Choi, Minister Mansoo Kang, then Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Aumentado were special guests at the groundbreaking rites. The upgrading of Malinao Dam and the Pilar Rice Processing Complex are part of Bohol’s multi-industry cluster (MIC) which Choi patterned after the strategy that accelerated the development of Korea after World War II and the Korean Peninsular War.