The National Irrigation Authority has given a Chinese firm that won a P773-million contract to repair the Bago River Irrigation System until May 15 to achieve zero work slippage or the NIA will take over its work, NIA project manager Samuel Japitana said yesterday.

China Waters and Electric Corp. by March 15  should also finish repair on laterals A, B and C  of  the BRIS in Murcia and Bago and part of the main canal to allow early rice  cropping, he said.

After which repairs will move to Valladolid and La Carlota, Japitana added.

Under international rules we have to give them warning before taking over, Japitana explained.

NIA has been calling on CWEC to address its now negative 8 percent work slippage that the firm said has been caused by rains and a problem with its quarry permit, Japitana said.

The Chinese firm also has not paid about P15 million to its Filipino subcontractors, Japitana said. More and more complaints are coming in to our office, he added. 

If the Chinese firm fails to address its slippage, NIA will take over its work that can then be completed by the Filipino subcontractors, Japitana said.

The whole repair contract is supposed to be completed by March 2009 but the Chinese firm has asked for an extension of six months because of unfavorable weather, Japitana said.

We have recommended that it only be granted a three-moth extension, Japitana said.

Japitana said the repair work can be done by Filipino contractors but since the funds for it comes from a loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation it is required that it be opened up for international competitive building.

CWECs won the contract because it underbidded by P136 million, he said.

The BRIS covers 12,577 hectares and 8,000 farmers in Murcia, Pulupandan, Valladolid and San Enrique towns, and Bago and La Carlota cities, Japitana said.

Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) yesterday said he is meeting with the NIA Administrator Marcelino Tugaoen Jr. to seek a solution to the problem at the BRIS.

He said the delay in repairs will greatly affect the farmers and the number of times they can plant rice a year, which is unfair to them.

Rice farmers of Bago have threatened to boycott and not   actively participate in the repair of the irrigation system, including payment of irrigation service fees because of the delay in the repairs.

The ten irrigators association presidents of the Lateral C System in the northern part of Bago City said they will resume active participation and support in the NIA-BRIS Repair and Improvement Project   when rehabilitation resumes and is completed in the Lateral C system.

The farmers said they lost income last year too  when Lateral C was also closed for repairs but was not finished because CWEC did not pay its subcontractors.

The 10 complaining irrigators association presidents are Vivencio Valencia, Rafael Magalona, Leopoldo Guzon, Modesto Sobrepeña, Eleazar Ledesma, Raul Carmona, Exequiel Prado Jr., Rolando Rodriguez, Raul Aquilesca and Julius Doctora.*CPG

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