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Abra farmers picket ARIA

Demand to open irrigation

BANGUED, Abra (Aug. 4) — The office of the Abra River Irrigators’ Association (ARIA) in Brgy. Angad, here, was closed and none of its officials was around to listen to the gripes of some 100 peasants from 15 Bangued and Tayum barangays who were demanding that water be allowed to flow into their farms. Dismayed, yet resolute, the picketers went on reading their position papers which they later posted on ARIA’s door.

ARIA allegedly did not allow the irrigation to flow into farms leaving most of them dry and depriving peasants from planting enough rice since two years ago. Only rain-fed fields yield rice but these are not enough, the farmers said.

“Limmakayen dagiti bunubon,” (The seedlings have matured) Eduardo Aquias, 58, a farmer from Brgy. Makray here said. “Dagiti kaaduan ket saan pay a naka-arado ta awan ti danum ti pasayak,” (Most farmers have not plowed yet, because there is no water in the irrigation canals) he told NORDIS.

In a letter they sent to ARIA through its Corporator Mario Gallardo, the farmers represented by Isydro Bites, chairperson of the Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga umili ti Sitios (ORNUS) and Novelito Rapisura, convenor and chair of the Koalisyon para ti Sosyal a Serbisyo ti Pasayak (KSSP) asked that the gate valve be opened for irrigation water to flow into the rice fields. “Luktan ken pagayusen ti danum iti irigasyon. Biag ken kabiagan ti nakataya iti panagtalinaedna a sirerekep ken simamaga ti irigasyon,” (Open and let the irrigation flow. Life and livelihood are at stake if it remains close and the canals are dry), their letter reads.

Since four cropping seasons ago (about two years), rice fields in Brgy. Angad did not receive enough irrigation water from the ARIA, a woman peasant said. She said, most peasants did not pay their irrigation dues to the association for loss of confidence in its officials. She used to pay two sacks of palay (approximately P1000) for the services she would get from the irrigation. But after ARIA officers failed to render satisfactory services, she said, some could no longer afford to pay.

“Awanen la ngaruden ti ma-apit gaputa awan ti pasayak, kinurapda pay dagiti alikamen ti ARIA,” (We do not harvest enough because of lack of irrigation, yet, they have corrupted ARIA property) a source from Angad who talked on condition of anonymity said. “Madi min nga agbayad no isunto met laeng nga awan ti serbisyo,” she reiterates.

Aside from the farmers’ demand that the irrigation services be extended to them, they also want a genuine general assembly to elect a new set of officers because they said, they no longer trust Gallardo and his companions. They said that these officers were not elected by a popular general assembly.

The joint KSSP and ORNUS position paper said that 78-80% of member-users have lost their confidence in Gallardo. They maintain that Gallardo and other officers are not legitimate leaders. They lambasted the officers for not holding a general assembly for nine years, for illegally changing the contents of the Constitution and By-Laws, and for disposing of ARIA properties without the consent of the general assembly.

Gallardo, who hails from Brgy. Cabaruan in Tayum town, could not be reached for comments. Other officers were not present either.

Members revealed that ARIA sold heavy equipment like the backhoe and a bulldozer without going through the necessary bidding process. Proceeds from sales of these reportedly remain unaccounted for.

The farmers also questioned ARIA’s plan to turn over the management to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

“Panagtalikod ken panangtraidor iti asosasyon ti ipapppapirmada a maipaima iti NIA ti pasayak,” (The petition to turn-over the irrigation system to NIA indicates a neglect of responsibility) their statement read.

Instead of calling a general assembly to discuss the nature of the problem and decide on the future of the association, the officers asked NIA to intervene, Bites said. He said that the problem should have been internally discussed in a meeting with all member-users.

Aquias, likewise challenged ARIA officials to turn over the management of the irrigation system to the members if the officers could not manage it well. “Kaya nga imanehar ti mannalon dayta a pasayak,” (Farmers can manage that irrigation) he said.

KASTAN Spokesperson Arnel Balucas challenged the farmers to manage and run the communal irrigation system by themselves if they are given the chance.

Some officials of affected barangays support the farmers’ demands. Angad Punong-barangay Ramon Belarde, said that a meeting involving some barangay captains agreed to bring it to the attention of the ARIA. He asked everyone’s help in restoring the irrigation system. He also appealed for sobriety so that no one will be hurt while the farmers demanded their just rights to the irrigation system.

Meanwhile, Tayum municipal local government unit called for a dialogue to help resolve the issue of the irrigation. NIA was apparently holding meetings with the ARIA. Abra Vice Governor Jaime Lo, also received a copy of the position papers.

ARIA was initially managed by the Diocese of Abra until its turn over to local farmers in 1993. Its second set of officers in 1996 changed its constitution and by-laws without calling for the general assembly. NORDIS learned that since then, there were no formal meetings to inform farmers of the status of the irrigation system. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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