By: Reyna Omictin

The Local Government Unit of Tubigon together with the Municipal Agriculture Office turned over the Cansuran Dam to the Cansuran Irrigators and Rice Farmers Association in a blessing and turn-over ceremony last November 10 in Cansuran, Bosongon, this town. After a few months of rehabilitation of Cansuran dam, LGU Tubigon, spearheaded by the its supportive mayor William R. Jao, together with Municipal Engineer Engr. Dionisio Sarpamones, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, Engr. Noel C. Mendaña and Municipal Agriculturist Mrs. Yolanda L. Labella, has finally decided to hand over its supervision and safekeeping to CIRFA or the Cansuran Irrigators and Rice Farmers Association, a union of farmers from barangay Bosongon, Tubigon. The group has 32 active members. With the reconstruction and turning over of the dam, the farmers will be highly benefited through proper irrigation of their rice fields with at least two harvest seasons annually. Rice production in these areas used to be on a one harvest cycle is in a smaller level with only one harvest due to inadequate water supply.

In line with this mitigating project, the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) has also been encouraging the constituents especially the farmers to put up gardens alongside the water passages or the canals which lead to the diversion dam, thus explained by MAO. This setup will enable the farmers to gain extra income with the extra production aside from rice as well as it optimizes utilization of water for the dam. Moreover, the impounding project induces natural underground water replenishment. According to Municipal Agriculturist Mrs. Yolanda Labella, it “is a way to help conserve and manage our resources well, especially because with the presence of global warming, water becomes scarce,”. She said that it is important most especially to the farmers since rice farming is a water intensive activity. As of press time, LGU Tubigon in partnership with MAO is in its best efforts in designing projects and programs to help alleviate environmental issues in order to provide a better and greener environment for the community.