The Farmers’ Satisfaction with the Services of National Irrigation Administration: The Case of Irrigation Systems in Bulan, Sorsogon

Abstract

The Philippine National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is mandated to help the agriculture sector both in the lowland and the upland farming communities in improving farmers’ income through irrigation development. This descriptive research aimed at determining the extent of satisfaction of national irrigation systems farmer-beneficiaries in Bulan, Sorsogon. There were 45 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. The researchers used a survey-questionnaire that gave both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings revealed that the farmers were moderately satisfied with the services provided by National Irrigation Administration (NIA). Specifically, the younger farmers who are members of irrigators’ association under San Ramon Irrigation System located in the upstream and have average seasonal yield of more than 75 sacks per hectare were more satisfied than the other beneficiaries of National Irrigation Administration. It is recommended for NIA to continue the construction of agricultural infrastructure projects, especially the concreting of irrigation canals in order to supply water to different areas, particularly to those in the downstream. Similarly, NIA should also take into consideration the experiences of older farmers in determining irrigation problems and designing solutions. NIA should likewise focus on giving technical assistance to those who have lesser yield, especially that their productivity is mostly affected by the amount of water supply. Moreover, the implementation of IMT must be revisited and be intensified with emphasis on educating the irrigators’ associations about their roles and responsibilities as differentiated with the role of NIA.