GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija – Forest Lake, a modern memorial park developer is said to be expanding its operations to this town and is now looking for an eight-hectare property for their planned expansion, said Dr. Jose Ariel G. Domingo, manager of Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System-Interim Division 6 based here.
Dr. Domingo shared this with People’s Tonight shortly after having a phone conversation with MK Legaspi, a representative of Forest Lake.
He said this planned expansion by Forest Lake puts them on target of their goals to collect for the first time ever these irrigation development cost recovery (IDCR) fees for the Division.
Dr. Domingo said it is a positive development that augurs well with the Interim Division 6’s plan to increase its revenues by tapping non-irrigation sources such as IDCRs from landowners planning to convert their properties into non-agricultural use.
“Ayun nga sakto ito dahil for the first time sa Interim Division 6 na-i-formulate natin ang IDCR at napaghandaan natin itong imposition ng IDCR para nga sa mga magpapa-convert sa non-agricultural use na lupain katulad noong nandoon pa ako sa Division 3 office kung saan ako din ang nag-compute ng unit cost ng IDCR,” said Domingo.
It was learned that Domingo pioneered this IDCR imposition at UPRIIS after deriving its unit cost himself during his previous stint at Division 3 where he collected a total amount of P337,938.67 as IDCR fees from January to August 2020 at a unit cost of P59,310.32 per hectare.
Here at Interim Division 6 shortly after assuming office last August 18, Domingo also came up with his own unit cost computation of IDCR equivalent to P226,734.88 per hectare.
The erstwhile Division 3 chief said that prior to his transfer to Interim Division 6 here, he already had prior negotiations with the Aboitizland in Cabanatuan about the collection of IDCR, thus, paving the way for new acting Division 3 manager Elenita Toquero to collect a total amount of P1.162-million from the Aboitizland’s 19-hectare property.
Domingo said NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya also ordered them to immediately reject those applications from unscrupulous landowners with areas found with premature land conversion.
