Section 3January 24, 1991, Sec./Art. 3

The National Irrigation Administration shall observe the following priorities and guidelines in the planning, construction and management of irrigation projects:

(a) Funds provided for in this Act shall be used only for the construction of new irrigation projects;

(b) Priority shall be given to the construction of communal irrigation projects. At least fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be used for communal irrigation projects;

(c) Priority shall be given to the following:

(1) Beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program;

(2) Members of the indigenous cultural communities;

(3) Beneficiaries in areas where there are farmer-irrigators associations; and

(4) Beneficiaries in fifth and sixth class municipalities;

(d) The irrigation projects must be equitably distributed among the provinces and municipalities, giving priority to those provinces and municipalities without any irrigation system;

(e) The farmer-beneficiaries of communal irrigation projects shall participate in all stages of the project. The beneficiaries shall participate in the project planning, identification, design, management of the project funds, construction and monitoring;

(f) The beneficiaries of communal irrigation projects shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the project cost without interest for a period of fifty (50) years: provided, that, in case the beneficiary dies, his legal heirs or whoever may own the land benefited by the project at any given time during the term of payment shall shoulder the remaining obligation of the land;

(g) The communal irrigation system shall be managed and maintained by the irrigators association or cooperative. The National Irrigation Administration shall help organize the irrigators association or cooperative and shall assist in the conduct of orientation seminars and training to the members of the said association or cooperative; and

(h) The provincial offices of the National Irrigation Administration shall be responsible in the preparation of the feasibility studies and design of communal irrigation projects.