The implementation of Iloilo’s biggest irrigation development project has unlocked another milestone. The Jalaur High Dam, the reservoir dam of the project has finally attained its designed height at 109 meters tall or at elevation 194 meters above sea level.
On November 27, 2023, the Project Management Office (PMO) of the Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) together with its international contractor Daewoo E&C carried out the final batch of concrete pouring at the high dam spillway bridge, which likewise indicated that the structure was already substantially completed.
With this development, all dams of JRMP II were already considerably completed and remaining activities at the dam sites include reservoir preparation, tunnel plugging, preparation of stilling basin and electromechanical works for the operation phase, among many others.
The Afterbay Dam was completed by the Contractor in February this year while the Alibunan Catch Dam was completed in December 2021.
Major remaining construction activities are now on the irrigation component of the project which covers the 80-kilometer High Line Canal and another 80-kilometer Main and Lateral Canals that shall convey water from the dams to the farmlands.
The high dam, during its operation, will store an estimated 250 million cubic meters of water that can be utilized for multi-purpose uses such as irrigation, bulk water, hydroelectric power and inland fishery. The reservoir dam will likewise generate eco-tourism opportunities and mitigate flooding in Calinog and nearby towns.
The JRMP II is a major economic booster for the Province and City of Iloilo as its realization and eventual operation will usher holistic rural development.
At the helm of its implementation are NIA Administrator Engineer Eduardo Eddie Guillen and NIA 6 Acting Regional Manager and concurrent Project Manager Engineer Jonel Borres.
