ABSTRACT
The Philippines has a high relative humidity owing its high temperature and surrounding bodies of water. Power generation and irrigation sectors had the highest water allocation. Full system operation and management was transferred to the water users association with signing of an irrigation management transfer contract between the National Irrigation Administration and Balanac Rivier Irrigatie Systeem (RIS) irrigator association in 2002. Maria RIS underwent its first major rehabilitation in 1976 through the Laguna de Bay Development Project with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. In contrast, only about 4% and 2% of the economic losses were due to climatological and hydrological disasters. The land cover statistics are periodically updated by the National Mapping and Resources Information Authority based on an interpretation of satellite images. Prior to the operation of Balanac RIS, portions of its present service area used to be irrigated by a few small farmers-built village irrigation schemes that diverted water from Salasad Creek and Binan Creek.
