Manila, Feb. 14 -- To further boost local palay (unhusked rice) yield and help ensure food security, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Friday vowed to fast-track the completion of the second phase of the Jalaur dam project in Iloilo province.

This is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to prioritize food affordability and security for Filipinos.

The PHP19.698 billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project - Stage II (JRMP-II), the first large-scale reservoir project outside Luzon, covers the construction of a 109-meter-high dam, a 38-meter afterbay dam across the Jalaur River, and a catch dam in Alibunan River in Calinog town.

NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen told the Philippine News Agency that t...