President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has returned the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to the Office of the President to strengthen the food security program and infrastructure development in the country.
Through Executive Order (EO) 69 that was signed on September 5, Marcos also reorganized the NIA board of directors which is composed of a representative from the Office of the President (OP), the NIA administrator and the secretaries of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
A representative from the private sector to be appointed by the President would also be included in the board.
EO 69 said the election, appointment or designation of the chairperson, vice chairperson and other officers of the board shall be in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 10149, the GOCC Governance Act of 2011.
In reverting NIA back to the OP, Marcos said “irrigation management and development is vital towards achieving food security and ensuring infrastructure development in the country, which are among the Administration’s priority initiatives.”
It is imperative to streamline and rationalize the functional relationships of agencies with complementary mandates to promote coordination, efficiency and coherence within the bureaucracy, he added.
NIA is a government-owned or -controlled corporation that was created through RA 3601 in 1963 to investigate, study, improve and administer all national irrigation systems in the Philippines.
In 1992, through Administrative Order (AO) No. 17, NIA was transferred to DA, then reverted back to OP in 2014 through EO 165.
NIA was again placed under DA in 2022 through EO 168.
The issuance of EO 69 repeals EO 168.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the is a “strategic move” in realizing the vision for a modern and more productive farm sector.
Tiu Laurel said NIA’s transfer to the OP will address the urgent need for substantial funding to irrigate approximately 1.2 million hectares of land. The initiative is expected to significantly enhance food production, particularly rice, thereby bolstering the country’s food security and reducing dependence on imports.
“Under normal circumstances, NIA should be under the DA. However, given the urgent need to irrigate over a million hectares of land to boost agricultural productivity, especially for rice, President Marcos made a strategic–possibly a game-changing–move that would ensure that NIA receives the substantial funding necessary to fulfill this crucial mandate swiftly,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said.
The DA has proposed a budget of P512 billion for 2025, which includes higher budget to bankroll more irrigation projects. However, the proposal approved by the Department of Budget and Management and submitted to Congress was for a reduced amount of P200.2 billion. By transferring NIA to the OP, the government aims to mobilize additional funds to accelerate irrigation projects and improve agricultural outcomes.
Meanwhile, the President, through AO 25 that was also signed on September 5, also formally approved the reorganization of the NEDA Board which now includes the secretaries of the DA and Department of Education (DepEd).
The NEDA Board shall now be composed of the President as chairperson, NEDA secretary as vice chairperson, and the Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs as members.
