Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur – Committed to ensure quality irrigation service to its farmer stakeholders, National Irrigation Administration Region IX with the mandate from its Central Office, sourced out a team of researchers from Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) in Dipolog City to survey the Farmer Satisfaction level of the Irrigators’ Associations in the region.
In the first three weeks of the year, the team surveyed a total of 263 IAs randomly selected from National Irrigation System (NIS) and Communal Irrigation System (CIS). An orientation was conducted in JRMSU DIpolog City last January 4, 2018 where all Institutional Development Officers (IDOs) and its heads were made aware of the procedure and how they can help facilitate the conduct once in the area.
In the NIS Survey, the measure will focus on nine (9) services or aspects such as (1) compliance and implementation of the agreed cropping calendar; (2) timeliness of delivery and distribution of water; (3) equitability of irrigation water delivery and distribution; (4) action on requests for the rehabilitation/ construction of irrigations systems/ projects; (5) quality of construction of irrigation facilities and structures; (6) action on requests for technical advisory/support services; (7) quality of technical advisory/support services; (8) action on request for training and other capacity building; and (9) quality of training and other capacity building programs provided. While the CIS will only cover items 4 to 8 of the above.
Last CY 2015, NIA Region-IX received an 80.05% Satisfaction level from farmers of NIS which describes as Satisfactory. While CY 2016 now including the CIS farmers, yielded a “Very Satisfied” rating both from the NIS at 84% and CIS at 89% farmers. Now with the recently concluded Farmer Satisfaction Survey Exit Conference conducted at NIA- RIO Function Hall, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur, the results revealed an even higher rate for both the NIS and CIS pegged at 97.59% and 98.13%, respectively.
Overall, both NIS and CIS respondents gave “Very Satisfied” mark on six out of nine NIA services with highest rating on “quality of training & capacity building” while scoring least on “quality of construction/rehabilitation” which was rated as “Satisfied.”
“We are not doing this just because of the requirement of GCG, but we are doing it because of our desire to improve our performance. I am interested to pick out the feedback of our farmers so we can focus on improving in those areas,” Regional Manager Mario H. Sande said.
Part of the focus of NIA aside from the design and construction of irrigation infrastructures and facilities is the capacity building of its Irrigators’ Associations whose participation in the management and maintenance of the constructed irrigation systems is tantamount to the overall success of NIA in particular and the rice self-sufficiency program of the government in general.