“Turning over construction of irrigation canal to local contractors ‘smells fishy’ — JRPM”, 4 Sep 2025

...JRPM... [sounds] the alarm over the decision of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to hand over the remaining 65-kilometer high-line irrigation canal of the JRMP II to local contractors. ...NIA... claim[s] that Korean contractor Daewoo E&C pulled out ... JRPM coordinator Alenciaga [said]: “We do not buy the NIA’s explanation… When the loan was approved, it was clear this was a tied loan. The funder had its own contractor. Why is NIA suddenly bringing in local contractors now?” ... JRPM warned... that the move raises serious questions on transparency and accountability... The group pointed out that JRMP II has already ballooned to almost ₱20 billion, with ₱8.9 billion borrowed from South Korea’s ODA fund under EDCF through KEXIM Bank. “The loan was signed more than a decade ago, and payments are already being made. The bank is earning from it, but the people see no benefits. Instead, what we have are devastated ecosystems, loss of farmlands and livelihoods, and Tumandok lives sacrificed in the name of this so-called development,” Alenciaga said. JRPM is demanding that NIA reveal who the local contractors are and explain what really drove Daewoo out of the project. “From day one this project has been riddled with lies, deception, and misinformation. The people have the right to know what is really going on…,” Alenciaga ended.