Announcement of Philippines Given Seventeen Million US Dollars Loan for Irrigation on December 19, 1974

• 18 18 H STREET, N. W . . VV .11. SH I NG TO N D. C. 2 0 4 3 3 TELEPHONE EXECUTIVE 3-6360 Bank News Release No. 74/99 December 19, 1974 PHILIPPINES GIVEN S17 MILLION LOAN FOR IRRIGATION The World Bank has approved a loan of $17 million to the Philippines to help finance an irrigation rehabilitation and extension proiect in Central Luzon. About 108,000 neoule who live in the area will benefit from increased agricultural production and higher incomes due to the irrigation schemes. The project will upgrade the existing Tarlac River Irriga- • tion System, the San Miguel-O'Donnell River Irrigation System and the Camiling River Irrigation System, which serve a total of some 21,000 hectares. It will extend these svstems to include an additional 13,000 hectares of currently rainfed rice land, and will u ograde and construct a number of roads in the pro.i ect areas. Plans also provide for a groundwater irrigation pilot scheme, a water management training program and a national irrigation sys- tem improvement study. The study will inventory existing national irrigation systems covering some 400,000 hectares and select a total of about 150,000 hectares with the highest priority for im- provement in the future. The project, which will cost about $34 million, will be implement- ed by the National Irrigation Administration over a five-year period. • The $17 million loan will be for a term of 25 years, including seven years of 5racc, with interest at 8% per annum. Note: Money figures are expressed in US dollar equivalents.  T E CHN I CA L DAT A PROJECT: COUNTRY: Tarlac Irrigation Systems Improvement Philippines • TOTAL COST: $34. 0 million BANK FINANCING: $17. 0 million, for 25 years, including seven years of grace, with interest at 8% pet annum OTHER FINANCING: Government of the Philippines IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: National Irrigation Administration, 'Manila, Philippines PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project consists of rehabilitation of three existing irrigation and drainage sys- • tems now serving a total of 21,000 ha; extension of these systems to serve an additional area of a 7Jout 13,000 ha; upgrading about 55 km of existing project roads and constructing 370 km of additional roads; procurement of vehicles and equipment; a groundwater irrigation pilot project, a National Irrigation Systems Improvement Study and a water management training program. PROCUREMENT: Equipment and vehicles for force account construction, operation, maintenance, the groundwater pilot project, water management training and NISIS costing about US$3.5 million will procured after international competitive bidding. A preference limited to 15% of the c.i.f. price of imported goods or cus- toms duty, whichever is the lower, will be extended to local manufacturers. Procurement of off-the-shelf items costing less than $10,000 each will be exempt from international competitive bidding and will be purchased through normal Government procurement procedures, to a total not exceeding $250,000. CONSULTANTS: NIA will engage consultants to provide guidance, special technical services and training to the staff engaged in the groundwater pilot project and the National Irrigation Systems Improvement Study. • ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: June 30, 1979