Thirty-two Indigenous Peoples (IP) families displaced by the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project (JRMP II) have officially received new housing units in Calinog, Iloilo.
Located in Sitio Agburi, Barangay Cahigon, the relocation site sits about 10 kilometers upstream from the dam’s reservoir to ensure safety from rising water.
“The recipients opted for a group relocation or the house-to-house compensation. Each family availed of a 35-square-meter single detached house in a 150-square-meter lot,” said Steve Cordero, OIC Division Manager for Institutional Development of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6.
Cordero said NIA is also working to provide individual land titles to the families. The resettlement area already has a water system funded by the Iloilo provincial government and a sewerage system linked to wastewater management.
“Our relocation is part of our 140 commitments. Around 85 percent of the 140 have been complied with, including this relocation,” he added.
A multi-purpose building and pavement will soon rise in the area, while NIA plans to develop a community livelihood zone nearby, to be managed by the homeowners’ association.
“On top of that, we have a commitment for each affected family for an income restoration through the provision of a livelihood program worth PHP40,000 and up. For this, we partner with the Department of Labor and Employment,” Cordero said.
As of September, JRMP II is 80.90 percent complete, with all three dams finished and the irrigation components targeted for completion by June 2027.