CABANATUAN City -- Officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) yesterday categorically denied accusations of alleged “ghost” irrigation projects in the country and said they are open to a congressional inquiry to shed light on these issues.

NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel said accusations of alleged non-existent irrigation projects are at best unfounded as he welcomed an investigation into the supposed anomalous projects, particularly those in Mindanao.

“With all due respect to our critics, we in NIA are transparent and we are open to any investigation. Our projects are aboveboard and can be considered as tuwid na proyektong patubig (straight irrigation projects) in line with the tuwid na daan (straight path) development agenda of President Aquino,” Nangel said in a press statement.

Nangel was reacting to earlier published reports that irregularities attended certain irrigation projects, more specifically the Malitubog-Maridagao (Mal-Mar) Irrigation Project in Northern Cotabato and Maguindanao.

The alleged anomalies prompted party-list Reps. Raymund Mendoza of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Angelo Palmones of Agham and North Cotabato Reps. Jesus Sacdalan and Nancy Catamco to file House Resolution 1641 calling on the House committee on agriculture to conduct an investigation into the project.

Palmones said with the P6.2 billion for Phase 2 covering 6,117 hectares, this would cost taxpayers a whopping P1 million per hectare to irrigate.

Nangel said allegations of corruption in the project have no factual or legal basis, saying an advisory group which serves as oversight committee has been strictly monitoring it. The group is chaired by North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza and Maguindanao Gov. Ismael Mangudadatu.

He said claims of “ghost projects” for Phase 2 in the lower Malitubog area have no leg to stand on since several small projects covering this particular phase are now on-going among them construction of the intake, canal lining and road at the Nalapaan main canal, rehabilitation and construction of intake structure at the Chrislan Dam and construction of main diversion canal.

Nangel said he himself could vouch for the project’s integrity because he has been conducting ocular inspections, the latest of which was only late last month. “For this reason, I would like to invite congressmen to the project site for an ocular inspection,” he said.

He said while waiting for the release of the foreign loans, NIA utilized the initial P200 million in available government funding to jump-start Phase 2 which has already been approved by the Board of the National Economic Development Authority.  

Nangel said that even sans foreign funding, they were already able to generate new areas, including 7,173 for Phase 1 while for Phase 2, they expect to irrigate 1,060 hectares within the year.