Operation and Maintenance of National Irrigation Systems
How national irrigation systems are operated with farmers and how irrigation service fees are set, paid and used.
RE:GOVUnofficial concept30 pages reimagined from nia.gov.ph by an AI agent · not affiliated with NIAOfficial site ↗ReportFeedbackHow national irrigation systems are operated with farmers and how irrigation service fees are set, paid and used.
NIA used to solely operate and maintain national irrigation systems (NIS). These are now operated and maintained jointly with Irrigators Associations. Operation and maintenance (O&M) activities comprise of, among others, operation of storage and diversion dams; running of pumps; operation of gates, turnouts and drainage ditches; preparation and implementation of cropping and irrigation schedules; maintenance of the physical facilities including service and access roads, and repairs on minor damages caused by floods and typhoons.
There are 217 NIS nationwide with total area of 793,638 hectares as of end 2012. Thirty percent (30%) of the areas are served by reservoir-backed systems, 65 percent by run-of-the river diversion systems, and five percent by pump systems. The dominant crop in these areas is rice comprising 95 percent. The remaining 5 percent are corn, sugarcane, bananas and some vegetables.
The irrigation service fee (ISF) is charged by NIA from the beneficiaries in national systems as payment for the services rendered in the delivery of water.
NIA is authorized to collect ISF pursuant to the following laws:
PD 1702, Section 1 paragraph b:
(b) Operating capital – All amounts collected by the National Irrigation Administration as irrigation fees, administration charges, drainage fees, equipment rentals, proceeds from the sale of unserviceable equipment and materials, sale of all reparation goods allocated to the defunct irrigation service unit and the National Irrigation Administration, all other income shall be added to its operating capital.
Factors considered in setting the ISF rates are the system's scheme of development (run-off-the-river, reservoir and pump), crops planted, and season. These are denominated in kind, in cavans of palay (paddy) (one cavan = 50 kilograms) per hectare. Rates for pump systems are higher as the cost of power for pump operation is included in the computation. These vary from system to system because power rates are location-specific.
Pursuant to National Economic and Development Authority Resolution No. 20, series of 1978, it is a national policy that the government shall bear the cost of interests on all indebtedness for the construction of irrigation projects in order not to discourage the participation of farmer-beneficiaries in the development and operation of irrigation facilities.
NIA has been authorized to impose charges to generate revenues sufficient to cover only O&M costs of such facilities and to recover within a period not longer than 50 years, the monies initially invested in such facilities; provided that such charges shall not impair the user's incentive to avail of the benefits from irrigation and provided further, that such charges are within the beneficiaries' capacity to pay.
The ISF is primarily used to fund the O&M of national systems.
This website is an unofficial, AI-generated reimagining of nia.gov.ph produced by RE:GOV for demonstration purposes. It is not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with National Irrigation Administration or any government body. Content was migrated automatically and may be incomplete or out of date. For official information and services, always use the agency’s official website.
© 2026 National Irrigation Administration Public domain Content sourced from nia.gov.ph
Reimagined by RE:GOV · Oct 27, 2026